Messages

The anti-game lobby out in force today

Teams need games to generate momentum and to evolve, forget supporters they are fickle as fcuk

Its only an oul season of fitbaw like, no-one died

Sure let's have 2 games a week 50 weeks a year so. Do you think more and more games just makes things better?

If the 2026 format was in play this year, it would have meant the 8 provincial finalists (Kerry, Clare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Armagh) were drawn at home to Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan, Cork, Down.

8 winners of that round would play each other for a 1/4 final place.

8 losers would play each other for right to play 4 losers above for a 1/4 place.

So you could still be in championship after 2 losses, but not 3. So an improvement of sorts. But lack of seeding in for example Munster means someone bound to get an easier Round 1 draw.

Needs to be changed that only the provincial winner gets home advantage.

I'd like to have seen a further tweak. Have provincial winners straight to quarter final, have that reward. On weekends of the finals, have the 8 who qualify on League play each other to get down to 4 teams. Those 4 winners play provincial final losers in 4 preliminary QFs. Those 4 winners go on to play provincial winners at their home. Easy format right there, and you minimise weekends too. Can create a small gap between league and Championship start with this too

Wouldn't agree with that. Whole championship be over too quick then.

System in place next year seems like a good balance.

Too quick? Why do we want to elongate stuff for the sake of it? We're reaping what we sow currently by adding in games that people do not want to go to.

This way provincials are rewarded, and you get a second chance. Gives games time to breath, develop the storylines, get TV lined up for them and so on. Less is more sometimes, rather than keeping as many teams as possible playing for longer than is needed (which is a money issue which is another problem coming down the line)

I'm not sure about you but I actually quite enjoy watching football week on week and next years system seems like quite a good balance.

I think your one of those people that would give out no matter what system is in place.

I hear that, but sure there's no point just filling the place with games for the sake of it

That's quite the stretch you're making there about me. I liked the old system is all. I recall games with big crowds. Now an accumulated crowd for some teams 3 group games would not be over what a one off game would be 15 years ago. Crowd are voting with their feet and just think we need to take a step back and see what games works and what doesn't

If the 2026 format was in play this year, it would have meant the 8 provincial finalists (Kerry, Clare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Armagh) were drawn at home to Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan, Cork, Down.

8 winners of that round would play each other for a 1/4 final place.

8 losers would play each other for right to play 4 losers above for a 1/4 place.

So you could still be in championship after 2 losses, but not 3. So an improvement of sorts. But lack of seeding in for example Munster means someone bound to get an easier Round 1 draw.

Needs to be changed that only the provincial winner gets home advantage.

I'd like to have seen a further tweak. Have provincial winners straight to quarter final, have that reward. On weekends of the finals, have the 8 who qualify on League play each other to get down to 4 teams. Those 4 winners play provincial final losers in 4 preliminary QFs. Those 4 winners go on to play provincial winners at their home. Easy format right there, and you minimise weekends too. Can create a small gap between league and Championship start with this too

That's very similar to the 2022 format that was scraped

I think we need to go back to formats like that. The more we t**ker, the more people move away from them - we are literally seeing this. Games need consequence, not just games for games sake. When games have something actually riding on them, the story builds and crowds show up. We need to step back a bit and not try to have too many games and teams sticking around after being beaten multiple times and the heart gone out of them

If the 2026 format was in play this year, it would have meant the 8 provincial finalists (Kerry, Clare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Armagh) were drawn at home to Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan, Cork, Down.

8 winners of that round would play each other for a 1/4 final place.

8 losers would play each other for right to play 4 losers above for a 1/4 place.

So you could still be in championship after 2 losses, but not 3. So an improvement of sorts. But lack of seeding in for example Munster means someone bound to get an easier Round 1 draw.

Needs to be changed that only the provincial winner gets home advantage.

I'd like to have seen a further tweak. Have provincial winners straight to quarter final, have that reward. On weekends of the finals, have the 8 who qualify on League play each other to get down to 4 teams. Those 4 winners play provincial final losers in 4 preliminary QFs. Those 4 winners go on to play provincial winners at their home. Easy format right there, and you minimise weekends too. Can create a small gap between league and Championship start with this too

Wouldn't agree with that. Whole championship be over too quick then.

System in place next year seems like a good balance.

Too quick? Why do we want to elongate stuff for the sake of it? We're reaping what we sow currently by adding in games that people do not want to go to.

This way provincials are rewarded, and you get a second chance. Gives games time to breath, develop the storylines, get TV lined up for them and so on. Less is more sometimes, rather than keeping as many teams as possible playing for longer than is needed (which is a money issue which is another problem coming down the line)

If the 2026 format was in play this year, it would have meant the 8 provincial finalists (Kerry, Clare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Armagh) were drawn at home to Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan, Cork, Down.

8 winners of that round would play each other for a 1/4 final place.

8 losers would play each other for right to play 4 losers above for a 1/4 place.

So you could still be in championship after 2 losses, but not 3. So an improvement of sorts. But lack of seeding in for example Munster means someone bound to get an easier Round 1 draw.

Needs to be changed that only the provincial winner gets home advantage.

I'd like to have seen a further tweak. Have provincial winners straight to quarter final, have that reward. On weekends of the finals, have the 8 who qualify on League play each other to get down to 4 teams. Those 4 winners play provincial final losers in 4 preliminary QFs. Those 4 winners go on to play provincial winners at their home. Easy format right there, and you minimise weekends too. Can create a small gap between league and Championship start with this too

If the 2026 format was in play this year, it would have meant the 8 provincial finalists (Kerry, Clare, Louth, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Armagh) were drawn at home to Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan, Cork, Down.

8 winners of that round would play each other for a 1/4 final place.

8 losers would play each other for right to play 4 losers above for a 1/4 place.

So you could still be in championship after 2 losses, but not 3. So an improvement of sorts. But lack of seeding in for example Munster means someone bound to get an easier Round 1 draw.

Exactly. It's definitely an improvement on what we have currently. And you only know who you get when the draw is done after each round. That creates a narrative and story rather than 3 known set games in a mini league

Straight knockout is the only non-dead rubber format, big fecking deal if there's a few perceived dead rubbers if the overwhelming majority are compelling

Was the old qualifier format a non dead rubber format too? Is the format next year also a non dead rubber format too?

Is the majority compelling really?

Listening to the GAA social this morning and McGeeney's comments after the Ulster final, I agree 100% that this is the best format of a championship that it is possible to get. This is our third year of it and there have been exciting final rounds in each year. This year there have been big shocks in the opening weekend leaving the groups wide open probably until the last game.

There is loads of jeopardy in every game as it's very difficult to get to an AI final unless you top your group. Of the 4 AI finalist only Galway last year didn't top their group but they had the eventual AI winners in their group. Galway and Mayo are under serious pressure in their final two games now.

Why are we changing it?

How on earth can you say that? This format allows for dead rubbers. By that very means it cannot be the best format

Very few teams eliminated by the final round of games so can't see too many dead rubbers there.

But there are dead rubbers. 48 games to eliminate 4 out of 16 teams is hardly a format that cannot be bettered is all I'm saying

Listening to the GAA social this morning and McGeeney's comments after the Ulster final, I agree 100% that this is the best format of a championship that it is possible to get. This is our third year of it and there have been exciting final rounds in each year. This year there have been big shocks in the opening weekend leaving the groups wide open probably until the last game.

There is loads of jeopardy in every game as it's very difficult to get to an AI final unless you top your group. Of the 4 AI finalist only Galway last year didn't top their group but they had the eventual AI winners in their group. Galway and Mayo are under serious pressure in their final two games now.

Why are we changing it?

How on earth can you say that? This format allows for dead rubbers. By that very means it cannot be the best format

In the first 2 years there were 48 group games. I believe one of those was a dead rubber.

So not perfect. Got it

No system is perfect and no matter what system we have we will have people complaining.

I simply think it's mad we placed a mini League into a Championship to eliminate 4 out of 16 teams and people think that format cannot be bettered is all. It can hardly be so good if people are voting with their feet and staying away from these matches until actual knockouts which have jeopardy

Listening to the GAA social this morning and McGeeney's comments after the Ulster final, I agree 100% that this is the best format of a championship that it is possible to get. This is our third year of it and there have been exciting final rounds in each year. This year there have been big shocks in the opening weekend leaving the groups wide open probably until the last game.

There is loads of jeopardy in every game as it's very difficult to get to an AI final unless you top your group. Of the 4 AI finalist only Galway last year didn't top their group but they had the eventual AI winners in their group. Galway and Mayo are under serious pressure in their final two games now.

Why are we changing it?

How on earth can you say that? This format allows for dead rubbers. By that very means it cannot be the best format

In the first 2 years there were 48 group games. I believe one of those was a dead rubber.

So not perfect. Got it

Listening to the GAA social this morning and McGeeney's comments after the Ulster final, I agree 100% that this is the best format of a championship that it is possible to get. This is our third year of it and there have been exciting final rounds in each year. This year there have been big shocks in the opening weekend leaving the groups wide open probably until the last game.

There is loads of jeopardy in every game as it's very difficult to get to an AI final unless you top your group. Of the 4 AI finalist only Galway last year didn't top their group but they had the eventual AI winners in their group. Galway and Mayo are under serious pressure in their final two games now.

Why are we changing it?

How on earth can you say that? This format allows for dead rubbers. By that very means it cannot be the best format

So it was announced over the tannoy at Mayo Cavan that the hooter would not be in use for the game as it was not televised. Look, we all know this is madness and it has been discussed before.

But also there was a black card during the game, Neary for Mayo got a black just before half time, and with a lot of stoppages and injury time, he was back just after the start of the 2nd half. Isn't it genuinely madness that in games in the same group, a black card in one game with a hooter will mean 10 actual game minutes, and a black card with no hooter can be run down when there are injuries or on other times when the clock would usually be stopped. I just cannot get over how they fumbled the hooter with this to make games so different

Didn't see that Mayo defeat coming at all

Cavan had lots of time since the Tyrone game to work on things. Mayo dont have the players to blitz teams so Cavan always had a chance. They were probaly still deflated from connacht final. Mcstay hasnt brought them on at all in the 3 years.

Also so many back from injury, with more to come back too. Tyrone was a very depleted side. Cavan genuinely can get better than this

Is Paddy Lynch bck?

Yes. Played around 15 minutes and got a great point from play. But more fitness and match time to come yet

Mentally preparing myself for our worst case:hammering, best case: moral victory versus Tyrone.

Even when they're begging to be beat, like last year in Breffni, we haven't the balls to go for it and put them down. With their act together under O'Rourke one year on, it'll be no fuss, ritual business as usual for them in Omagh come Sunday. 42 years and counting, jasus it'd make you cringe.

Urgh, that was annoying. Last year was our chance. We had that chance to go for goal, but O'Connell fisted over the bar for a draw. I get why he did it, but like for O'Toole Monaghan a few years back, if he went for goal we'd have won it. That's the type of moment you need to snap a losing streak