TG4 - Club Championships Coverage

[Saffronaldo]

Totally agree on the straight knockout. Round robin style championships just end up ensuring the better sides get through, as they can afford a slip-up yet still recover. So the element of jeopardy is removed somewhat. A winner takes all knockout is just so much more intense and exciting.

Unfortunately it doesn't bring in as much money which I suspect is part of the reason it isn't used more. I know the argument for giving players more games but do that through leagues, players don't want dead rubber championship matches either.

[yellowcard]

Tyrone has the best championship in Ulster hands down. The eventual winners might not progress far in Ulster but this myth of Derry being strongest has surely ran its course. In how  many other counties would you get a cricket score in a semi final?

best in terms of excitement but the teams must be very good if they can't win Ulster.

probably exictment because its open draw straight knockout which i think all county championships should be if they have the numbers county leagues are there to provide teams with multi game format  like donegal should be straight knockout  how many counties actually do a straight knockout format.

Totally agree. The difference in atmosphere between a straight knock out match and a League based round robin match is very noticeable. Both the players and the crowd have an added edge that simply isn't there when you know that a defeat isn't fatal.

[rodney trotter]

I thought players wanted to play more games. Why train all year for one knockout game.
Most counties outside Ulster operate a group stage

[Saffronaldo]

I thought players wanted to play more games. Why train all year for one knockout game.
Most counties outside Ulster operate a group stage

Why train all year for two or three one-sided group games and then go out anyway? No system is perfect, but straight knockout is my preference as a spectator.

[tiempo]

I thought players wanted to play more games. Why train all year for one knockout game.
Most counties outside Ulster operate a group stage

Such a meaningless phrase trotted out constantly

All roads lead to championship knockout, you get the league to prep then the champ is the business end of the seaosn, get on with it, thats the beauty of straight knockout, no second chance, makes an ambush/upset all the more meaningful

[Saffronaldo]

I agree

[general_lee]

I thought players wanted to play more games. Why train all year for one knockout game.
Most counties outside Ulster operate a group stage

There's no excitement for players or supporters when they have to play 3 group games before they even get near a quarter final.

There's no one size fits all solution as every county is different but in Armagh both junior and intermediate  has seen the underdogs win - in fact neither finalists were really fancied and now one of them will be playing senior football next year  Crossmaglen near got caught in the long grass in the senior and Maghery reigning champions were de-throned.

[oakleaflad]

Tyrone has the best championship in Ulster hands down. The eventual winners might not progress far in Ulster but this myth of Derry being strongest has surely ran its course. In how  many other counties would you get a cricket score in a semi final?

I still genuinely think we're strongest at the top. And I do think Glen on their day would give a trimming to a good few Semi finalists in other counties too. Coleraine and Magherafelt not making the semi's this year may make it seem slightly weaker than it was and with the greatest of respect to the Loup I think they overachieved by making the Semi Final. That being said the standard of the mid to bottom tier of senior club in Derry has definitely dropped and I think our Intermediate winners could struggle. I hope i'm wrong.

[rodney trotter]

I seem a

I thought players wanted to play more games. Why train all year for one knockout game.
Most counties outside Ulster operate a group stage

Such a meaningless phrase trotted out constantly

All roads lead to championship knockout, you get the league to prep then the champ is the business end of the seaosn, get on with it, thats the beauty of straight knockout, no second chance, makes an ambush/upset all the more meaningful

Well in Tyrone its nearly more emphasis on the league then championship.  I read before Trillick were beaten in the Intermediate final but got promoted in the league and won the Senior Championship the following year.

Is that not devaluing the Intermediate championship?

[Saffronaldo]

Tyrone has the best championship in Ulster hands down. The eventual winners might not progress far in Ulster but this myth of Derry being strongest has surely ran its course. In how  many other counties would you get a cricket score in a semi final?

I still genuinely think we're strongest at the top. And I do think Glen on their day would give a trimming to a good few Semi finalists in other counties too. Coleraine and Magherafelt not making the semi's this year may make it seem slightly weaker than it was and with the greatest of respect to the Loup I think they overachieved by making the Semi Final. That being said the standard of the mid to bottom tier of senior club in Derry has definitely dropped and I think our Intermediate winners could struggle. I hope i'm wrong.

Glen are a decent side, but nothing more than that imo. I honestly don't think if you plonked them into a Derry Championship from the late 80s to the mid 2000s they'd win a single one of them.

They're the best of a bad bunch in that county at the minute.

[Walter Cronc]

Tyrone has the best championship in Ulster hands down. The eventual winners might not progress far in Ulster but this myth of Derry being strongest has surely ran its course. In how  many other counties would you get a cricket score in a semi final?

I still genuinely think we're strongest at the top. And I do think Glen on their day would give a trimming to a good few Semi finalists in other counties too. Coleraine and Magherafelt not making the semi's this year may make it seem slightly weaker than it was and with the greatest of respect to the Loup I think they overachieved by making the Semi Final. That being said the standard of the mid to bottom tier of senior club in Derry has definitely dropped and I think our Intermediate winners could struggle. I hope i'm wrong.

Glen are a decent side, but nothing more than that imo. I honestly don't think if you plonked them into a Derry Championship from the late 80s to the mid 2000s they'd win a single one of them.

They're the best of a bad bunch in that county at the minute.

Ah that old argument of teams were better years ago  . The same clowns said the same about Slaughtneil when they won the first of their more recent titles!

[Saffronaldo]

Slaughtneil again were a decent but limited side. Shown up badly a couple of times against really good sides once they got out of Ulster if I recall correctly. The same applies to them as Glen, albeit Slaughtneil probably a bit better at their peak.

[smort]

Slaughtneil again were a decent but limited side. Shown up badly a couple of times against really good sides once they got out of Ulster if I recall correctly. The same applies to them as Glen, albeit Slaughtneil probably a bit better at their peak.

Shown up by a really good side after getting out of your province  wise up

[Saffronaldo]

Not sure what your point is. They were shown up badly. The defensive and somewhat cynical style they employed can only get you so far. As they found out.

[lenny]

Not sure what your point is. They were shown up badly. The defensive and somewhat cynical style they employed can only get you so far. As they found out.

Lol, I'd say most clubs would take a few Ulster titles and All Ireland final appearances. Slaughtneil weren't overly defensive at all and certainly weren't cynical under Moran but they seem to have become much more defensive and cynical recently, probably as a result of Devlin as coach.