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Football Championship 2026

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Replying To Expertinall:  "Yeah, it would hardly call for wild preparation getting by those teams. Theirin lies the unfair allocation of home advantage to all provincial finalists."
But if they seeded it fairly (provincial winners only + best from league) the seedings would be

Donegal
Kerry
Mayo
Roscommon
Ulster winner
Leinster winner
Galway
Munster Winner/Armagh/Meath

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1803 - 08/05/2026 10:43:06    2671566

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Replying To Gaa_lover:  "Don't think it needs to be played out for judgement. It's fairly obvious only the provincial winners should be seeded with home advantage for the 1st round draw in the All-Ireland series."
16 teams in AI Series with 8 matches. There has to be some way of sorting the matches. Provincial finalists getting the home advantage is one way of doing it. People need to give the system a chance?

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 931 - 08/05/2026 10:43:21    2671567

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Replying To Scenicparish:  "16 teams in AI Series with 8 matches. There has to be some way of sorting the matches. Provincial finalists getting the home advantage is one way of doing it. People need to give the system a chance?"
4 Champions in Pot A, rest in pot B.
Draw 4 Champions vs 4 of the 12, avoiding Provincial Final re fixtures.
Then draw from the remaining 8, 1st team out home advantage (or perhaps higher NFL team?)

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 539 - 08/05/2026 13:05:25    2671616

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Round 1: Connacht and Munster quarter finals & Ulster and Leinster preliminary round.
Round 2: Connacht and Munster semi finals & Ulster and Leinster quarter finals.
Round 3: Ulster and Leinster semi finals.
FINALS: Connacht, Munster, Ulster and Leinster.

Connacht and Munster essentially have 2 qualifying rounds to make their finals. Ulster and Leinster have 3 qualifying rounds to make their finals. Sufficient reward for getting to Ulster and Leinster semi finals is where there should be some discussion. Up to Ulster and Leinster to lead that conversation.

Low key build up to the Connacht final. Munster has been overshadowed by an All Ireland final rematch. The draw for the All Ireland really should be after the finals. A partial draw or something might be what's needed there.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9717 - 08/05/2026 18:14:06    2671686

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Replying To bloodandbandage:  "100% CM. A Munster final in Killarney between Cork and Kerry is a very special occasion. Unfortunately, I won't make it as I've a communion, but can't wait for it all the same. Without a doubt Kerry will want to quench this Cork confidence, and show them who's boss. All set up to be a cracker.

Good piece in the Examiner today from Maurice Fitz.."
Answer me this, why should cork and Kerry get home advantage in all Ireland? You have played nobody, and seeded your championship to make sure you both get to the final, of a hurling province, yet you want equal status with the likes of Armagh, who have had to manage their league campaign, to arrive at the same position? Assuming after FOUR games they are provincial winners.....

Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 73 - 08/05/2026 23:53:58    2671724

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Replying To Seanfan:  "4 Champions in Pot A, rest in pot B.
Draw 4 Champions vs 4 of the 12, avoiding Provincial Final re fixtures.
Then draw from the remaining 8, 1st team out home advantage (or perhaps higher NFL team?)"
Anything to be said for the provincial finals being like 2A instead? 4 winners to quarter finals. 4 losers to Round 2.
8 league qualifiers in Round 1. Provincial runners-up v Round 1 winners in Round 2.
Tailteann Cup could go straight knockout as well. More rest weekends built into the season. Provincial championships spread over 7 weekends. National league over 12 weekends.

1. Ulster and Leinster preliminary round.
2. Munster and Connacht quarter finals.
3. Ulster and Leinster quarter finals.
4. Munster and Connacht semi finals.
5. Ulster and Leinster semi finals.
6. Munster and Connacht finals.
7. Ulster and Leinster finals.
8. Round 1
9. Round 2
10. Quarter finals.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9717 - 09/05/2026 00:18:52    2671730

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Round 1: Connacht and Munster quarter finals & Ulster and Leinster preliminary round.
Round 2: Connacht and Munster semi finals & Ulster and Leinster quarter finals.
Round 3: Ulster and Leinster semi finals.
FINALS: Connacht, Munster, Ulster and Leinster.

Connacht and Munster essentially have 2 qualifying rounds to make their finals. Ulster and Leinster have 3 qualifying rounds to make their finals. Sufficient reward for getting to Ulster and Leinster semi finals is where there should be some discussion. Up to Ulster and Leinster to lead that conversation.

Low key build up to the Connacht final. Munster has been overshadowed by an All Ireland final rematch. The draw for the All Ireland really should be after the finals. A partial draw or something might be what's needed there."
On your second paragraph, this is a forum,we can have the conversation, that's it purpose!

Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 73 - 09/05/2026 00:25:46    2671734

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Replying To Expertinall:  "Answer me this, why should cork and Kerry get home advantage in all Ireland? You have played nobody, and seeded your championship to make sure you both get to the final, of a hurling province, yet you want equal status with the likes of Armagh, who have had to manage their league campaign, to arrive at the same position? Assuming after FOUR games they are provincial winners....."
You are obsessed with Cork and Kerry and Munster.

You mention Armagh,They are in a provincial final and did nt beat any division 1 team.

Dublin are in a provincial final by beating a division 4 team and Division 2 team and will face a division 3 eam in their final.

Lets mention Galway.They are in a provincial final after beating a division 4 team.A team that was ranked 31 after the league.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 4145 - 09/05/2026 16:28:36    2671802

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "You are obsessed with Cork and Kerry and Munster.

You mention Armagh,They are in a provincial final and did nt beat any division 1 team.

Dublin are in a provincial final by beating a division 4 team and Division 2 team and will face a division 3 eam in their final.

Lets mention Galway.They are in a provincial final after beating a division 4 team.A team that was ranked 31 after the league."
The more games you play, the more likely you are to pick up injuries or suspensions, the division the opposition play in does not change that. I agree with you about Galway, but it's an open draw, and they got lucky. Munster is the only one, who has 2 seeded teams, which is now advantageous, with home advantage guaranteed, why can I not call it out? I could also highlight some of the Munster opposition league status, but I doubt it's necessary. I hope there's a great Munster final, tomorrow, but I'm allowed to question the format by which it's arrived at.

Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 73 - 09/05/2026 17:27:23    2671814

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "You are obsessed with Cork and Kerry and Munster.

You mention Armagh,They are in a provincial final and did nt beat any division 1 team.

Dublin are in a provincial final by beating a division 4 team and Division 2 team and will face a division 3 eam in their final.

Lets mention Galway.They are in a provincial final after beating a division 4 team.A team that was ranked 31 after the league."
Donegal played a Division 3 team. But because Ulster championship schedule has to be wedged in to the All Ireland season Down had only a week to their next game. Unlikely that they would have beaten their neighbours if they had 2 weeks to prepare but it dudn't help them.

Leinster thankfully is competitive again.Dublin couldn't play a Division 1 county in Leinster this year.

Leitrim weren't highly ranked but very competive against Galway. Not so long ago a bigger city than Galway reached a Connacht Final. Varying standaeds year on year.

Too much been made about the league and various counties motivation levels in it and recuperating lads to get them fit for All Ireland series. Some S&C programs will aim to peak them for late rounds in provincials, maybe even start of All Ireland series. When we know the quarter finalists we might look back to the league and say it wasn't that predictable based on league form. That other factors made counties not look that strong for the league.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8555 - 09/05/2026 17:59:15    2671826

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Replying To Expertinall:  "The more games you play, the more likely you are to pick up injuries or suspensions, the division the opposition play in does not change that. I agree with you about Galway, but it's an open draw, and they got lucky. Munster is the only one, who has 2 seeded teams, which is now advantageous, with home advantage guaranteed, why can I not call it out? I could also highlight some of the Munster opposition league status, but I doubt it's necessary. I hope there's a great Munster final, tomorrow, but I'm allowed to question the format by which it's arrived at."
Good post. You are totally correct, Galway got lucky this year. Kerry and Cork are set up to get it handy every year. They can gear their training for a Munster Final.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 931 - 09/05/2026 19:00:27    2671840

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