Messages

who's the likely 2 semis in down going to be?
cran v p'ferry
liatroim v b'galget

Extra game for the losers is it not? I can't remember if the semis are open draw or it's a winner of each group in each semi?

Semis are winner of group 1 v Winner of match B QF (which will likely be St Endas v Dunloy/Cdall)

And winner of group 2 v winner of match A QF (2nd in group 1 v 3 in group 2)

So yes the reward for winning Cdall/Dunloy is avoiding Loughgiel in semi

So if you are the loser of Cushendall v Dunloy game you would be placed second and play St Enda's as it stands, (Could be Ballycastle) in two weeks.
Assuming you win you would then have another two week break until playing Loughgiel who had a 4 week break from competitive action and came from a 'weaker group'.

If you win Cushendall v Dunloy you would wait 4 weeks with no competitive fixture and then play the winners of St John's/Rossa/Ballycastle (as it stands) who if you were to assume league standings would see the favourites to come through from the St John's/Rossa fixture.
They would potentially have 2 good games and victories under their belt while you have had a 4 week break.

Now from a Dunloy and Cushendall perspective must accept the main aim is to remove as many obstacles as possible to win the championship, which starts with a QF fixture if it can be avoided.
However on the other hand you can see benefits to how the fixtures could work out the other way should you finish second.

i'd say the management of both dunloy and cushendall are having that same conversation and at the same time planning a weekend or two away to get really competitive challenges game in the sth. it would benefit dunloy more so to have the gap as they have qf football to contend with and probably 9 dual players.

Galway team was up here in the glens the week of the all ireland final - no shortage of teams wanting to travel for serious competitive games either

[Wexford nearly beat Tipp in a semi one year]

its definitely exciting and getting a lot of chins wagging about back room teams and styles of play! we haven't had this much interest in our senior team in a life time. we should get some bounce from it over the next few years.

the optimist in me is excited, and i wish him all the best in the years ahead.

there's been a wee bit too much negativity for my liking with the appointment. I'm supporting Davy all the way!

Regardless of money and travel I hope he doesent revert back to some of the hurling we have seen from his teams in the last few years.

That's a very good comment.

What style will he play? Can he change his defensive template?

What style would you say we played under Gleeson?

Conventional full forward line with all lines moving forward or back according to possession.
Davy in the past has played a sweeper with other forwards dropping deep pulling opponents defense further away from goal. Derek mc grath set teams up the same. It does nullify gifted forwards but at the expense of being toothless up front. It Also brings defenders into play for attacking as they don't have to travel to far up the field to find space. Wexford nearly beat Tipp in a semi one year but all the energy expended deploying this system got them in the last ten minutes. Because of this his systems are deemed by the experts as to complicated and expend to much energy compared to conventional modern set up's were forwards and midfield assumes their natural positions apart from strategic match ups.

That's not to say he might asses our weaknesses and strengths and set up accordingly. Waterford did seem to playing a more conventional style last year.

Tipp went a man down with Wexford 5/6 points up with 20 mins to go in the 2019 semifinal and Davy the tactical genius played the extra man at corner back and let Tipp come onto them

He wouldn't have won the All Ireland with Clare in 2013 only for Kinnerk being there and he then ran him shortly afterwards out of jealousy

The Mourinho of Hurling with the same career trajectory

some jungle drums being banged today

i love a good rant whether i'm right or wrong - leave me alone.

but thanks for pointinhg that out - i hadnt realised it was a JHCb Ardoyne won.

Point still valid on Creggan though! they've given 3 teams the easiest run in championship since st galls were gifted a county final 10 years ago

just looking through those fixtures for hurling championships and a couple of things jump out. Ardoyne won JHC last year and are playing it again this year - why? in my opinion they should be forced to play IHC. And its a joke that Creggan, last years IHC winners aren't playing SHC.

County is weak as piss in not forcing these teams to play up - in ardoyne's case, whats the point in winning and not pushing on the following year and in crggan's case whats the point in winning and then playing no championship at all the following year.

maybe wiser doing a little research before a rant

just looking through those fixtures for hurling championships and a couple of things jump out. Ardoyne won JHC last year and are playing it again this year - why? in my opinion they should be forced to play IHC. And its a joke that Creggan, last years IHC winners aren't playing SHC.

County is weak as piss in not forcing these teams to play up - in ardoyne's case, whats the point in winning and not pushing on the following year and in crggan's case whats the point in winning and then playing no championship at all the following year.

Thanks - well hidden 

where's the master list on the website - fire a link up here please @saffrongael

think i may have spoken to soon. there's two results are already listed as 0-00 v 0-00. looks like a few of the teams have pulled out @SaffronSports. (https://antrim.gaa.ie/fixtures/u21-a-hc)
probably a handful of kids just in the age group who are going to miss out. too old for minor and and too young for senior.

sorry, not kids! young men... (before yous all start slabbering)

think i may have spoken to soon. there's two results are already listed as 0-00 v 0-00. looks like a few of the teams have pulled out @SaffronSports. (https://antrim.gaa.ie/fixtures/u21-a-hc)
probably a handful of kids just in the age group who are going to miss out. too old for minor and and too young for senior.

great to see so many teams entered into this years u21 championship. hope we get some good games?

wouldnt be familiar with this age group but i'd say loughiele must be favouraites havin won a rake of minor championships in recent years.
what's the lay of the land? and whats the pick of the games:

glenariffe/glenravel v ballycastle
loughgiele v  galls
c'dall v st pauls
rossa v endas

Div 2 is tough to get out of, however I'd say Ballygalget won't be sitting there too long. i said a few weeks back the league is brutal for clubs with a big county contingent and i think the ards clubs get it tight as they've more missing than most.

no violins though... we all know thats how it works.

anyone got the second set of dates for the div 1 hurling league games?

Hurling is alive and well Belfast then. A Rossa, Johnnies 1-2 in the league before the split.

Div 1 league will split now and the Div 2 goes one more round then splits.

Will make for interesting management decisions pre championship in a group with Cushendall, rossa, St John's and Dunloy and playing them on the run in to finishing league - just makes the league less competitive in the last few rounds with teams not wanting to show their hands.

MR2 who would you recommend?

a. if you had to go locally?
b. if you had you pick across the country (realistically)?

So which Antrim man are you recommending?

Not sure what standard of players we have to match teams physically? We have plenty skill btw but over 70 plus minutes the big teams grind you down.

Bitta disrespectful on Carlow, they'd a better score difference to us and with 15 players on the park they could have won.