Hurling 2024

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2023/0908/1404146-gaa-considering-changes-to-hurling-league-format/

GAA outline three alternative Allianz Hurling League formats
Updated / Friday, 8 Sep 2023 10:09
Limerick beat Kilkenny in this year's Allianz hurling League Division 1 final
Limerick beat Kilkenny in this year's Allianz hurling League Division 1 final
By Damian Lawlor
RTÉ GAA reporter

The GAA'S Central Competitions Control Committee is exploring alternative formats for Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League from 2025 onwards.

The CCCC is acting on concerns that have been expressed by counties regarding a perceived significant gulf in standards between the strongest and weakest sides in the current Division 1A and 1B system, consisting of equivalent groups of six in which the two bottom sides play off to avoid relegation.

There is a feeling that this gap is affecting the overall intensity of the competition and that the current framework does not provide enough jeopardy for the top teams.

With regards to promotion and relegation, counties have also expressed their concern that there appears to be a yo-yo effect of a small but familiar list of counties coming up and going down from the top tier on a regular basis.

The CCCC has now decided to explore potential new structures to address these concerns but any new format, if adopted, will not come into play until the 2025 competition.

This week the CCCC signalled three potential alternatives for counties to consider. From there, any potential change in structure would need the approval of Central Council.

Option one would look at the GAA reverting to a meritocracy of 12 teams, with the top six teams in Division 1A and the next six in Division 1B, as applied from 2012-19.

Each county would play five games and the top team in 1B would join the top three in Division 1A in league semi-finals.

There would be no change to Divisions 2 or 3.

Option two would see a 12-team Division 1 with six seeded games for each county.

Teams would be seeded based on finishing positions from the previous year. Each team would play games against first, second and third seeds, ensuring that each county gets games at their own standard.

Again, there would be no change to Divisions 2 or 3

Options 3 would see an NHL of five divisions with seven teams in each. This would increase the number of teams in the top two divisions to 14 rather than the current 12 but with two teams going up and down in both divisions, it should ensure competitiveness.

It would also reduce the risk of a Liam MacCarthy Cup team being cut adrift from top-flight league hurling for a prolonged spell.

Feedback from counties must be relayed back to HQ by the end of September.

[keep her low this half]

Option 2 is nonsense, are there 11 league games or do you just play some teams and not all? Way to complicated.
5 divisions of 7, where are getting 35 counties from? Are their three from England and will Cavan keep fielding? I know London field and so do Warickshire, who is the other county?
So basically Kilkenny or Tipperary don't fancy a trip to Belfast every year so rearrange the league. I know the Cats were up here twice this year league and championship, maybe that's the issue
Every year there is talk about spreading and promoting the game, then a big county gets annoyed and we alter things to suit them. Same old same old.

[johnnycool]

Option 2 is nonsense, are there 11 league games or do you just play some teams and not all? Way to complicated.
5 divisions of 7, where are getting 35 counties from? Are their three from England and will Cavan keep fielding? I know London field and so do Warickshire, who is the other county?
So basically Kilkenny or Tipperary don't fancy a trip to Belfast every year so rearrange the league. I know the Cats were up here twice this year league and championship, maybe that's the issue
Every year there is talk about spreading and promoting the game, then a big county gets annoyed and we alter things to suit them. Same old same old.

Option 3 makes the most sense in it's simplicity, there's jeopardy throughout the league structures with 2 going up and 2 going down, but your point is valid as I keep saying.

BUT it probably won't get the votes from the top teams as you've 5 Munster counties and realistically 4 Leinster counties, (Antrim and Westmeath's opinions don't really count) so that would be 2 having to hold their noses and play the likes of Carlow, Laois, Antrim, Kerry, Westmeath and the likes for a whole year and that just wouldn't do.

These changes aren't being driven to improve development within the weaker counties, it's all about the Liam McCarthy counties and what they want and it's not even that!

There would be no change to Divisions 2 or 3. as they're perfect the way they are or we haven't given it any thought as we don't give a shít???

It would also reduce the risk of a Liam MacCarthy Cup team being cut adrift from top-flight league hurling for a prolonged spell. There you go, spelled right out in black and white.

The fact that is was included tells you they don't consider Antrim or Westmeath/Carlow as a Liam MaCarthy county as what would be the issue of having 4 Liam McCarthy counties in Div2?

[seafoid]

I think Toni Kroos if you put a Portumna jersey on him and were looking from the stand and he had the helmet off would easily be mistaken for Joe Canning

[johnnycool]

new rules being trialled with the Freshers hurlers;

Our Game

[Saffrongael]

ffs sf they're well conditioned yes but they're fantastic hurlers. If you're just putting this down to s&c then you're missing quite a bit here. Have you noticed as well as anything that they also shift their tactics round that time when they notice how the opposition is playing?

It's the combination but the key difference is the power boost. And it's like a multiplication. Some other teams are skilled but they don't have the power.
I also think that Limerick's power peaks in the championship endgame. They were just as skilled in Munster

It's hurling not a video game 

Some of the KK lads are a bit off on the S&C though, take Tom Phelan, I thought he was a young lad, 21 or 22 or so, but he's 27.

A fine hurler but was bounced about and lost possession twice in the tackle in the second half that I can remember. Now he'd have been better off not going into those tackles although a lot of the time with Limerick those tackles come to you..

On the flip side, take Cathal O'Neill or Adam English, bit part players, 20 to 21 years old and far better conditioned for this type of hurling.

Kilkenny do have a bit of catching up to do in terms of S&C, no doubt but it starts in the youth teams and not when they're adults.

In fairness, Phelan was probably one of KK's best players in the final.  Iirc, he got 3pts after being emptied by WOD after 5 mins.

Phelan gave Byrnes a hard time of it when Kilkenny were going well in the first half

[seafoid]

Matt Williams,  on bringing the Joe Mac rugby teams up to the level where they could beat Italy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1v690GDm2c

[NAG1]

The Championship will be a poorer place this year without Aussie, even with the limited time he has had recently always brings something different to the game and is a pleasure to watch. Hopefully finds the drive for it again at some point.

[johnnycool]

The Championship will be a poorer place this year without Aussie, even with the limited time he has had recently always brings something different to the game and is a pleasure to watch. Hopefully finds the drive for it again at some point.

Maybe he wasn't keen on being part of a two man FF line with no other waterford players within 50 yards of him and Dessie!
I always felt for Conor McDonald at Wex and Maurice Shanahan back the first time Davy was with Waterford. They'd to work like dogs against 3 or 4 defenders.

[Gallybander]

Aussie is some talent and we may never see the best of them. Unfortunately he emerged in an era where managers have gone OTT with restrictive game plans and players like Aussie don't get to express themselves.

[seafoid]

Allstar nominations

Only 2 KK forwards


Home  Sport  GAA  Hurling
Gearóid Hegarty and Declan Hannon omitted but Limerick still dominate hurling All-Star nominations
Limerick's Cian Lynch, left, and Kyle Hayes. Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Limerick's Cian Lynch, left, and Kyle Hayes. Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Michael Verney
Today at 08:00
Former Hurler of the Year Gearóid Hegarty and Limerick skipper Declan Hannon are notable omissions from this year's PwC GAA/GPA All-Star nominees but the all-conquering Treaty still lead the way with a whopping 14 contenders.
Hegarty, an All-Star in each of the past three seasons, didn't make the cut after a patchy season by his standards while injury ruled Hannon, a three-time All-Star, out of the All-Ireland series.

John Kiely's men are still sure to lead the way when the awards are handed out on Friday November 17, though, and there is a first nomination for David Reidy after the Dromin Athlacca clubman forced his way into the starting 15 for the latter stages of the championship.

Mike Casey is another Limerick nominee as the Na Piarsaigh defender bids to become the last of Limerick's regular starters to be honoured with an All-Star.

There is also certain to be another Limerick man crowned Hurler of the Year with Diarmaid Byrnes chasing back-to-back wins while he is joined in the shortlist by Patrickswell clubmate Aaron Gillane and Kyle Hayes.

Read more
Brian Lohan rings the changes to Clare backroom team with former Banner star Brendan Bugler a high-profile addition
Kieran Donaghy: There were a few other approaches but I shut them down
Austin Gleeson opts out of Waterford squad for 2024 in hammer blow for Davy Fitz
All-Ireland finalists Kilkenny, who also secured a Leinster four-in-a-row, receive eight nominations with TJ Reid chasing his seventh All-Star while his Ballyhale Shamrocks clubmate Eoin Cody is in line for his his first award.


Munster runners-up Clare receive nine nominations with Tony Kelly bidding to win his fifth award and become the most successful Banner player in All-Star history.

It could also be a special night for his team-mates Adam Hogan and Mark Rodgers with the Clare pair nominated for All-Stars as well as being in the running with Cork's Ciarán Joyce to be crowned Young Hurler of the Year.

Elsewhere, Galway have six All-Star contenders with ace attacker Conor Whelan most likely to make the final 15 while Cork veteran Patrick Horgan is one of four Rebels nominated as he seeks his fifth award.

1:33



Today's Sport News in 90 Seconds - 28th September

�PwC GAA/GPA Hurling All-Star Nominations

Goalkeepers: Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny), Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eibhear Quilligan (Clare).

Defenders: Barry Nash, Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Kyle Hayes, Diarmaid Byrnes (all Limerick), Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Paddy Deegan, David Blanchfield (all Kilkenny), John Conlon, Adam Hogan, Diarmuid Ryan, David McInerney (all Clare), Ciarán Joyce, Damien Cahalane (both Cork), Jack Grealish, Daithí Burke (both Galway), Ronan Maher (Tipperary).


Midfielders: Darragh O'Donovan, Will O'Donoghue (both Limerick), Noel McGrath (Tipperary), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork), David Fitzgerald (Clare), Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny).

Forwards: Cian Lynch, Peter Casey, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Séamus Flanagan, David Reidy (all Limerick), Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland (all Galway), Tony Kelly, Shane O'Donnell, Mark Rodgers (all Clare), TJ Reid, Eoin Cody (both Kilkenny), Jake Morris (Tipperary), Dónal Burke (Dublin), Patrick Horgan (Cork).

PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year Nominees: Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane, Diarmaid Byrnes (all Limerick).

PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year Nominees: Adam Hogan (Clare), Mark Rodgers (Clare), Ciarán Joyce (Cork).

[Cyril Farrell fan]

Conor Whelan is nailed on. After that it's not looking good for Galway.

[seafoid]

Conor Whelan is nailed on. After that it's not looking good for Galway.

KK will get more because they got hammered in the final rather than the semi final. The 2 teams were equally mediocre against JP McManus.

[johnnycool]

Conor Whelan is nailed on. After that it's not looking good for Galway.

KK will get more because they got hammered in the final rather than the semi final. The 2 teams were equally mediocre against JP McManus.

Yep, there's some sort of formula at play with rarely gets discarded.
You'd think Clare will get at least three though, Conlan, Kelly and O'Donnell but they won't.

[seafoid]

Conor Whelan is nailed on. After that it's not looking good for Galway.

KK will get more because they got hammered in the final rather than the semi final. The 2 teams were equally mediocre against JP McManus.

Yep, there's some sort of formula at play with rarely gets discarded.
You'd think Clare will get at least three though, Conlan, Kelly and O'Donnell but they won't.

The 3 should get 2 each