Super 8s

[Zulu]

Someone posted up how many of the QF's were actually close over the last 4 or 5 years and none of them had anymore than 2 of the 4 competitive in any year. The super 8's provided us with one of the games of the decade, a massive occasion in Killarney and another one this weekend in Castlebar as well as good games between Cork/Dublin, Mayo/Meath, Cork/Tyrone and Meath/Donegal. What's more, of those games, Cork/Tyrone and Mayo/Meath were more or less do or die, lose and you couldn't make the All Ireland SF's. That's far better than what we had.

[Zulu]

Better than the old QF's anyway.

It's not. It is boring and unnecessary. Get on with the competition and cease the cumbersome foreplay please.

Are the Munster and Leinster hurling championships boring? Are the premiership, champions league or World Cup boring? Olympic heats? Casual observers of pretty much any sport could tell you the likely winners of most competitions but they still all avoid strict knock out competitions.


Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

You really think that Donegal want to meet us again at this juncture of this year's Championship? And it only applies to Group 1 (we can't meet them in the Semi regardless).

[Rossfan]

Unlike the Hurley stuff which has 9 reasonably well matched teams football has one Superteam and maybe 3 others who are excellent teams.
5 or 6 who'd come after that.
Hurling had the Round Robin (restricted) first and the K O after.
Football has knockout Provincials, knockout Qualifiers, then Round Robin and then more knockout.
One plus though was big games in Provincial venues.

[Zulu]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

You really think that Donegal want to meet us again at this juncture of this year's Championship? And it only applies to Group 1 (we can't meet them in the Semi regardless).

If given the choice of the Dubs or Tyrone I'd say they'd pick Tyrone every day of the week.

[Zulu]

Unlike the Hurley stuff which has 9 reasonably well matched teams football has one Superteam and maybe 3 others who are excellent teams.
5 or 6 who'd come after that.
Hurling had the Round Robin (restricted) first and the K O after.
Football has knockout Provincials, knockout Qualifiers, then Round Robin and then more knockout.
One plus though was big games in Provincial venues.

Dublin are making any system in football seem defunct but the super 8's are better than the alternative knockout QF's. Why any fan of football wouldn't like to see more football games between the best teams is beyond me.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

You really think that Donegal want to meet us again at this juncture of this year's Championship? And it only applies to Group 1 (we can't meet them in the Semi regardless).

If given the choice of the Dubs or Tyrone I'd say they'd pick Tyrone every day of the week.

With respect, I'd let wans from Donegal actually assert that *, since pure speculation is rarely worthy of expression.

* Stand to be corrected, though if Dublin are going to be thwarted in their 'drive for five', it's probably more likely to happen in the Semi than the Final, I'd say, in that whatever 'vulnerability' exists with them, will have been truly banished by the first weekend in September in Croke.

[Zulu]

Fair enough though I only gave my opinion. If there are Donegal folk out there who'd prefer to meet Dublin then fair enough.

[Blowitupref]

What's more, of those games, Cork/Tyrone and Mayo/Meath were more or less do or die, lose and you couldn't make the All Ireland SF's. That's far better than what we had.

I think most would agree that Meath,Cork having dead rubbers to play after losing their do or die matches is not better than what we had.

[Never beat the deeler]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

You really think that Donegal want to meet us again at this juncture of this year's Championship? And it only applies to Group 1 (we can't meet them in the Semi regardless).

If given the choice of the Dubs or Tyrone I'd say they'd pick Tyrone every day of the week.

With respect, I'd let wans from Donegal actually assert that *, since pure speculation is rarely worthy of expression.

* Stand to be corrected, though if Dublin are going to be thwarted in their 'drive for five', it's probably more likely to happen in the Semi than the Final, I'd say, in that whatever 'vulnerability' exists with them, will have been truly banished by the first weekend in September in Croke.

You asked him what he thought and when you didnt like it, you want it to come from someone else!

[inthrough]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

You really think that Donegal want to meet us again at this juncture of this year's Championship? And it only applies to Group 1 (we can't meet them in the Semi regardless).

Absolutely delighted to meet you in the semi final.

[macdanger2]

...
Why is it boring anyway? In one group three teams out of four can still qualify and they all want to top it to avoid playing Dublin.

I'd be interested in hearing from some of the kerry lads, would ye prefer to play Dublin in semi or the final? I'd say if Dublin are to do 5 in a row (odds are currently 4/9), kerry might prefer not to play them in the final and have their shot in a semi instead

[Zulu]

What's more, of those games, Cork/Tyrone and Mayo/Meath were more or less do or die, lose and you couldn't make the All Ireland SF's. That's far better than what we had.

I think most would agree that Meath,Cork having dead rubbers to play after losing their do or die matches is not better than what we had.

Ronan McCarthy has already come out stating their game isn't a deadrubber as far as he's concerned. I'm certain the Meath management feel the same about Kerry coming to Navan in a game Kerry will want to win.

If you compare the old knockout QF format to the super 8's then the super 8's would be the preferred option of most I'd say.

Managers and players want more games and less training so it's the super 8's

Administrators want more revenue and a higher profile for the game so it's the super 8's

County boards like the home game element as do local businesses and getting rid of the Croke Park game will spread that business wider.

Fans get more games, more oppportunities to get kids to games which is what helps fuel the passion in the next generation.

Clubs won't get anymore games played if you went back to the QF's so I see little or no advantage to the old system over the current one. It's not perfect but it's still better IMO.

[Dinny Breen]

What's more, of those games, Cork/Tyrone and Mayo/Meath were more or less do or die, lose and you couldn't make the All Ireland SF's. That's far better than what we had.

I think most would agree that Meath,Cork having dead rubbers to play after losing their do or die matches is not better than what we had.

Ronan McCarthy has already come out stating their game isn't a deadrubber as far as he's concerned. I'm certain the Meath management feel the same about Kerry coming to Navan in a game Kerry will want to win.

If you compare the old knockout QF format to the super 8's then the super 8's would be the preferred option of most I'd say.

Managers and players want more games and less training so it's the super 8's

Administrators want more revenue and a higher profile for the game so it's the super 8's

County boards like the home game element as do local businesses and getting rid of the Croke Park game will spread that business wider.

Fans get more games, more oppportunities to get kids to games which is what helps fuel the passion in the next generation.

Clubs won't get anymore games played if you went back to the QF's so I see little or no advantage to the old system over the current one. It's not perfect but it's still better IMO.

Regardless of how they feel it's dead rubber and certainly not championship do or die football. It's irrelevant no matter how they dress it up. The u20 game should be the only game that matters to Cork this weekend.

[Zulu]

I think the value of it is a matter of opinion and I certainly think that management will like the extra two weeks with the players and the additional game. However, that's not really important in the context of the discussion. Are the super 8's better, even if there are some dead rubbers, than the old QF knockout? For me they are and I suspect all managers and players would agree.