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Replying To Tadhg2020: "You do know that I dont set media opinion or expectations? Since I dont how can I be talking nonsense about it. Its very clear that the media expectations were wrong. Thats not under debate at all. Clare were way better and put to bed any talk to the contrary. They were based on their performances on the way to leinster championship and, probably, the performances at senior by Rabbitte, Niland etc. I bought into it a bit if im honest.
I think that one that KK won was the one that Cathal O Neill wasn't allowed play in." They beat us by a point in the Leinster Final that year and one of our best players that year wasnt allowed to play in the game, and they beat Galway by only a point in the Leinster SF, and likewise their best player had played Senior too and was ruled out.
3 one point wins in a row against 3 sides all missing their best player.....who knows what the result wouldve been had Limerick played ourselves or Galway that year either.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19948 - 03/06/2026 17:21:52
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A lot of talk about u20 progression to Senior so from 2021 - 2025 here's the numbers of that have made the step to Senior baring Offaly as it's practically their squad.
Cork - 16. 7 or 8 of the group are starting most games for them. Cork from around 2014 - 2020/21 had a good team, but not a great team, they do now however.
Galway - 16. 5 or 6 of them starting most games. Galway had won an All-Ireland in 2017 then just fell short in 2018 due to replays during the season. Then followed by 2 appointments of Shane O'Neill and Henry Shefflin who both held the progression of the county back.
Their was some players brought in to try but they couldn't make the step up, thus followed by players leaving and retirements to key players like David Burke and Jason Flynn.
Clare - 14. 6 of them get regular game time. They always the potential to contended for AIs but don't always live up to it every year.
Dublin - 12. 7 of them get good minutes. Never really pushed on since 2013, had some decent years, but over the past 2 or 3 years, the promising players from u20 have settled into the team and look to be coming into form.
Limerick - 10. 4 of them start nearly all their games with another 2 or 3 getting a few appearances from the bench. The most notable team for transitioning u20s I think, have a great team over the past 9 years, winning 6 of the last 9 AIs and have brought in a lot of extremely good talent with the best players this season being from that group.
Tipperary - 7. 4 of them are regulars in the match day teams. Very similar to Clare over the years.
Kilkenny - 7. With all of them being heavily involved this year. Ran out of road with getting to Semis and the final in most years with comfort and have had to test the u20s over the last few years gone by.
Waterford - 6. With 5 featuring in every game this year. Always have the potential to push on for more, but can never make it stick.
The point I'm trying to get across is that you can have the most talented group to exist but you also need the right management to bring them through.
ColmFlaherty (Galway) - Posts: 91 - 03/06/2026 17:27:56
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Replying To ColmFlaherty: "A lot of talk about u20 progression to Senior so from 2021 - 2025 here's the numbers of that have made the step to Senior baring Offaly as it's practically their squad.
Cork - 16. 7 or 8 of the group are starting most games for them. Cork from around 2014 - 2020/21 had a good team, but not a great team, they do now however.
Galway - 16. 5 or 6 of them starting most games. Galway had won an All-Ireland in 2017 then just fell short in 2018 due to replays during the season. Then followed by 2 appointments of Shane O'Neill and Henry Shefflin who both held the progression of the county back.
Their was some players brought in to try but they couldn't make the step up, thus followed by players leaving and retirements to key players like David Burke and Jason Flynn.
Clare - 14. 6 of them get regular game time. They always the potential to contended for AIs but don't always live up to it every year.
Dublin - 12. 7 of them get good minutes. Never really pushed on since 2013, had some decent years, but over the past 2 or 3 years, the promising players from u20 have settled into the team and look to be coming into form.
Limerick - 10. 4 of them start nearly all their games with another 2 or 3 getting a few appearances from the bench. The most notable team for transitioning u20s I think, have a great team over the past 9 years, winning 6 of the last 9 AIs and have brought in a lot of extremely good talent with the best players this season being from that group.
Tipperary - 7. 4 of them are regulars in the match day teams. Very similar to Clare over the years.
Kilkenny - 7. With all of them being heavily involved this year. Ran out of road with getting to Semis and the final in most years with comfort and have had to test the u20s over the last few years gone by.
Waterford - 6. With 5 featuring in every game this year. Always have the potential to push on for more, but can never make it stick.
The point I'm trying to get across is that you can have the most talented group to exist but you also need the right management to bring them through." We have had 23 lads who played u20 for us in 2022 and 2023 make the Senior panel for a while.
13 have played Championship.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19948 - 03/06/2026 17:50:50
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Replying To Viking66: "They beat us by a point in the Leinster Final that year and one of our best players that year wasnt allowed to play in the game, and they beat Galway by only a point in the Leinster SF, and likewise their best player had played Senior too and was ruled out.
3 one point wins in a row against 3 sides all missing their best player.....who knows what the result wouldve been had Limerick played ourselves or Galway that year either." An unusual feature of that KK side imo was their lack of scoring forwards. They seemed to cope/strategically plan regarding this issue, by running at defences to buy frees, and have Billy Drennan record a placed ball score. Billy Drennan recorded a staggering 0-16 from frees in their 1pt extra time win over Galway at the Leinster u20 semi of 2022. You'll often need an accommodating sympathetic referee too, in order to record 0-16 from placed balls in a match.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4788 - 03/06/2026 18:12:24
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Firstly, Leinster should expand to 8. Secondly, Leinster should push for both their finalists to go direct to the All Ireland semi finals.
Leinster could have 1 group of 8. Place teams in 4 seeded brackets. Each team would have to play 1 team from each seeded bracket - 2 home games and 2 away games. After 4 rounds:
Top 2 direct to Leinster semi finals with home advantage.
3rd to 6th into Leinster quarter finals. 3rd and 4th with home advantage.
7th and 8th into relegation final.
Leinster would have to increase from 6 to 7 weekends. Leinster semi finals could be on the weekend currently used for their final. Leinster final could be on the weekend currently used for All Ireland quarter finals. With 2 Leinster finalists direct to semi finals, Munster probably would have to adapt with a 2nd v 3rd semi final of their own but that'll be a Munster matter to sort out. Leinster can only take care of their own house.
If a county not eligible for Leinster won the Joe Mac, no relegation from Leinster. Munster could include a 6th team for one year. The Joe Mac would reduce from 6 to 5 for that same year.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9792 - 06/06/2026 12:49:45
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...
Reading the opinions of the likes of a Carlow expert of Tom Mullally's knowledge...
Leinster could have 2 tiered groups of 4:
Top 4 in Group A - Leinster semi finalists from the previous year after year 1. Top 2 direct to semi finals with home advantage. 3rd at home v 2nd from Group B in quarter final and 1st from Group B at home v 4th from Group A in quarter final. 4th in Group B relegated unless spared by a non Leinster eligible county winning the Joe Mac.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9792 - 06/06/2026 13:57:57
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Replying To legendzxix: "...
Reading the opinions of the likes of a Carlow expert of Tom Mullally's knowledge...
Leinster could have 2 tiered groups of 4:
Top 4 in Group A - Leinster semi finalists from the previous year after year 1. Top 2 direct to semi finals with home advantage. 3rd at home v 2nd from Group B in quarter final and 1st from Group B at home v 4th from Group A in quarter final. 4th in Group B relegated unless spared by a non Leinster eligible county winning the Joe Mac." If you watched that McDonagh final you would know that neither laois or Carlow are good enough for the leinster championship. Laois get the chance to prove me wrong and congratulations to them. McCarthy hurling is about quality not quantity imo.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 549 - 06/06/2026 19:45:22
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "If you watched that McDonagh final you would know that neither laois or Carlow are good enough for the leinster championship. Laois get the chance to prove me wrong and congratulations to them. McCarthy hurling is about quality not quantity imo." Not playing the top teams doesn't exactly help either. An 8 team Leinster is a fair shout. Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Carlow and Westmeath need to lobby better for a proper more inclusive Leinster Championship.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9792 - 06/06/2026 21:59:49
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Replying To legendzxix: "Not playing the top teams doesn't exactly help either. An 8 team Leinster is a fair shout. Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Carlow and Westmeath need to lobby better for a proper more inclusive Leinster Championship." Ok, so if will bite? Where does this end?
Say the LSHC goes to 8 teams. There will still be a winner of the competition below it. Do you give them the same respect and consideration as you are giving these 2 teams that make up the 8. If you dont you are being a hypocrite. So then it goes to 9. What happens the next year and the next year? When do you pull up the ladder and shut the door? When is enough enough?
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 549 - 06/06/2026 22:17:58
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