Sweeney has a piece in today's independent criticising the NHL set up.one point is Westmeath didn't choose to be effectively promoted from division 3 to division 1 as 2a and 2a are in real terms.remember last year Cork defeated Kilkenny in A relegation play off while Westmeath were promised the idea of the promotion from 2a to 1 a was they were guaranteed two years in division 1 but what happens they face a play off with Carlow to see who stays up.
A far better NHL structure would be five divisions instead of six, two up and two down,top two to finals.
Division 1 :Limerick,Tipp, Waterford, Galway,Clare, Kilkenny,Cork, Wexford.

Division 2 :Dublin,Laois,Carlow, Westmeath, Antrim,Kerry,Offaly,Meath.

Division 3:Wicklow,Mayo,Derry,Down, Kildare, Roscommon,London.

Division 4 Warwickshire,Armagh,Donegal,Tyrone, Longford, Monaghan.

Division 5 Sligo,Letrim, Lancashire,Cavan, Fermanagh,Louth.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 02/03/2020 14:00:12    2271661

If I see his name on a article i don't read it, just sensation journalism seems to be his go to

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 02/03/2020 14:17:23    2271670

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2229 - 02/03/2020 15:11:41    2271691

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 02/03/2020 20:42:52    2271789

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 02/03/2020 21:09:55    2271795

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 02/03/2020 22:02:14    2271805

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 02/03/2020 23:00:40    2271818

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1445 - 02/03/2020 23:15:08    2271821

I agree the current NHL top 12 is about right.
For further improvement, I'd go with the following -

1) Switch Galway for Clare in 2020 NHL to leave revised groups forming 2 Prov Championships of 6 teams (Wmeath guesting in Muns).
2) Then, for fixture variety, the NHL could have the remaining inter-group pairings, 'Muns 6 v Lein 6'.
3) After 5-match Prov groups, top 2 in each to Prov Finals, with both Champs to AI QFs.
4) Also, top 6 of 12 (11-match record, incl carryover of prior NHL 6-match record) to AI QFs (Prov Champs advancing twice get a bye to AI SFs).
5) In NHL KO, top 4 of 12 '6-match inter-group' records join top 4 of 12 (11-match record, incl carryover of prior Prov 5-match record) to NHL QFs (teams advancing twice get a bye to NHL SFs).
6) Note - 11-match records will only be possible for 'most' of the 12 teams (those not the one team relegated after either the Prov or NHL group phases in the revolving 11-match cycle).

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2570 - 02/03/2020 23:21:27    2271825

The leagues sweeney is mooting was the model used in the past which served us well if im asked. The top 2 in Div 1 went into semis and third and fourth in Div 1 played top 2 in Div 2 in quarter finals.
You could argue the same for football used be quarter finals with top 4 in div 1 , top 2 in div 2 , top of Div 3 and 4 in quarters. threw up some novel pairings especially div 4 winner v div 1 team.

hurler32 (Limerick) - Posts: 867 - 03/03/2020 10:00:01    2271876

I read one of his articles last summer and it was appalling.
Don't pay him any heed.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1732 - 04/03/2020 10:58:34    2272141

Given the weather impact in the last two years, should the GAA build in more off weeks within the same time interval ?

This can be done with smaller groups within both codes -
Div 1 (A5 + B5)
Div 2 (A5 + B5)
Div 3 (Foot North 6 + South 6; Hurl A5 + B5)
Div 4 (Hurl 5)

Mostly 4 games per team.
Group winners to respective Div Finals.
Group lasts go down / Div Finalists (ex div 1) go up.
Group 3rds & 4ths switch groups within each div.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2570 - 06/03/2020 20:23:28    2272531

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 08/03/2020 20:07:05    2272889

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 08/03/2020 20:58:31    2272900

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 09/03/2020 13:24:54    2273016

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2570 - 09/03/2020 17:10:26    2273093

Whatever type of league format is used, it definitely shouldn't have a quarter-final stage, And I'd argue it shouldn't even have a semi-final stage. If you have to have 2 equal league groupings as div 1, just have the top 2 teams play the final. I'd even go further and have an 8 team top division with no final, just the top team wins. Because its supposed to be a league. But if that can't be, it should really just have a final at maximum.
And if there are 'dead rubbers', so what? Teams will still try out new players in such games. And the way the leagues have been working out, you'll still have numerous teams in the run for top position, or trying to avoid relegation, at the last round. You can't engineer a league make over 50% of league placings be rewarded, and still call it a league, nevermind calling it competitive.

But they can't keep expanding the number of championship games every year, and putting April aside for club games, AND have the same league with knockout stages. This year, it started in mid January, been played in bad conditions, and most teams are now out of the league, and have up to 10 weeks until the next competitive game. But the league knockout rounds take up the whole of March, it doesn't make sense.

All counties should have the same amount of games in the league, they're all preparing for the championship. And thats ultimately what the league is about

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 09/03/2020 17:50:01    2273106

Yes - having most teams playing the same number of games is desirable. Given the weather, maybe a smaller NHL schedule (e.g.. 5 team groups) played over an unchanged time interval would work.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2570 - 10/03/2020 17:24:00    2273274