Sam Maguire permutations

[Hound]

With the draw so early it leaves teams with options of throwing games. Not saying it would happen but it is potentially now in Kerry's interest to lose the Munster Final and finish up in a group with Monaghan and Donegal and leave Mayo for a rattle later in the year.

I don't get the rush with everything from draws to games on top of each other.

Not sure about that. As BcB pointed out above re a handy draw on paper for the Dubs not actually being a good thing.
I think Kerry will be happy to play Mayo in an important game in the round robin. Both teams will want to win to top the group, but it's a free hit and win, lose or draw, they will learn loads, and they'll be guaranteed to avoid each other in the quarter-finals.

[blanketattack]

With the draw so early it leaves teams with options of throwing games. Not saying it would happen but it is potentially now in Kerry's interest to lose the Munster Final and finish up in a group with Monaghan and Donegal and leave Mayo for a rattle later in the year.

I don't get the rush with everything from draws to games on top of each other.

Not sure about that. As BcB pointed out above re a handy draw on paper for the Dubs not actually being a good thing.
I think Kerry will be happy to play Mayo in an important game in the round robin. Both teams will want to win to top the group, but it's a free hit and win, lose or draw, they will learn loads, and they'll be guaranteed to avoid each other in the quarter-finals.

Besides the preposterousity of Kerry throwing a Munster Final...

Kerry would much prefer an away game in Cork instead of in Donegal (especially since it'll give Kerry their opportunity of a first away win since last year's All-Ireland semi-final).
And would prefer their 1/4 final with Donegal or Monaghan as potential opponents than v Mayo.

On the negative side, Kerry have a serious threat to their unbeaten home record since 1995 by playing Mayo.

[seafoid]

1/4 final predictions:

Kerry v Roscommon
Galway v Monaghan
Dublin  v Tyrone
Mayo v Derry

Next year's Division 1

[Cunny Funt]

All lot of games in the group stage to eliminate four teams, a case of waiting to see it play out before judging fully and will be interesting to see the size of crowds that attends these matches (GAA would be wise to charge no more than NFL prices) 

Knock out All Ireland quarter final is improvement on the Super 8s but I'm not sure if it's right for one quarter finalists to have the advantage of week rest over the other.

[seafoid]

4 sets of matches to remove 8 teams

[Rossfan]

If you have only 2 going through from each there's the liklihood of dead rubbers.
As for crowds and prices....no danger the GAA would do a bit of innovative marketing and try 3 game ticket packages or special family tickets packages?
Crowds won't be massive for a 3 game series so why not have cheap tickets to tempt people especially youngsters to attend.
Remember today's open mouthed amazed kid is likely to be a "customer" for 60 or 70 years!
Better 15k paying €10 at a game than 7k paying €20

[armaghniac]

If you have only 2 going through from each there's the liklihood of dead rubbers.
As for crowds and prices....no danger the GAA would do a bit of innovative marketing and try 3 game ticket packages or special family tickets packages?
Crowds won't be massive for a 3 game series so why not have cheap tickets to tempt people especially youngsters to attend.
Remember today's open mouthed amazed kid is likely to be a "customer" for 60 or 70 years!
Better 15k paying €10 at a game than 7k paying €20

They should. But if they had 3 game packages cue complaints about people not wanting to travel too far and only wanting two games etc.
They should sell 3 game packages with a guarantee of tickets for any subsequent semi-finals or finals.

Some of the venues are small. But as far as I can tell it is Cork away to Louth and the away fans would fit on a bus.

[blanketattack]

The GAA trying to convince people that the idea of 3 qualifying from groups was to avoid dead rubbers when in reality it's for financial reasons especially with the 4 preliminary 1/4s.
I don't see how dead rubbers will definitely be avoided.

In Kerry's group, if the winner of Kerry-Mayo beats the winner of Louth-Cork in the 2nd game, with the loser of Louth-Cork also losing their 2nd game, then won't the final game between the team with 2 wins v the team with 2 losses be a dead rubber?
And the other game will essentially be a dead rubber, 2nd and 3rd will be decided, just which order.

[Armagh18]

The GAA trying to convince people that the idea of 3 qualifying from groups was to avoid dead rubbers when in reality it's for financial reasons especially with the 4 preliminary 1/4s.
I don't see how dead rubbers will definitely be avoided.

In Kerry's group, if the winner of Kerry-Mayo beats the winner of Louth-Cork in the 2nd game, with the loser of Louth-Cork also losing their 2nd game, then won't the final game between the team with 2 wins v the team with 2 losses be a dead rubber?
And the other game will essentially be a dead rubber, 2nd and 3rd will be decided, just which order.

Theoretically you can go through with just one win and finish third so surely theres always a chance?

[armaghniac]

They should playoff the 4th place teams and dump a couple of them in the Tailteann cup next year.

[delgany]

The GAA trying to convince people that the idea of 3 qualifying from groups was to avoid dead rubbers when in reality it's for financial reasons especially with the 4 preliminary 1/4s.
I don't see how dead rubbers will definitely be avoided.

In Kerry's group, if the winner of Kerry-Mayo beats the winner of Louth-Cork in the 2nd game, with the loser of Louth-Cork also losing their 2nd game, then won't the final game between the team with 2 wins v the team with 2 losses be a dead rubber?
And the other game will essentially be a dead rubber, 2nd and 3rd will be decided, just which order.

Only the  GAA  could come up with preliminary quarter finals, complete nonsense, makes group stage less  appealing. One team knocked out ffs!  Same silly nonsense in Hurling as well.

[Wildweasel74]

All about the money kids, what's new.

[westbound]

To be fair,  it's also about ensuring there will be no dead rubbers in the group stages.

[weareros]

May not be too bad. After 3 games, 4 will be out. 4 games, 8 out, 5 games 12 out. Will happen fast enough in 2 or 3 weeks.

[westbound]

The GAA trying to convince people that the idea of 3 qualifying from groups was to avoid dead rubbers when in reality it's for financial reasons especially with the 4 preliminary 1/4s.
I don't see how dead rubbers will definitely be avoided.

In Kerry's group, if the winner of Kerry-Mayo beats the winner of Louth-Cork in the 2nd game, with the loser of Louth-Cork also losing their 2nd game, then won't the final game between the team with 2 wins v the team with 2 losses be a dead rubber?
And the other game will essentially be a dead rubber, 2nd and 3rd will be decided, just which order.

In your scenario, going into the last match the table could be:
Mayo -4
Kerry -2
Louth - 2
Cork -0
Last match is Kerry V louth and Mayo V cork

In that scenario, if cork and louth won their last matches, Louth could get top, Mayo second and Cork could get third with kerry finishing bottom.

That's unlikely, but they aren't dead rubbers.

Also, there is a benefit to fiishing 2nd over 3rd as you will (in theory) get an easier preliminary quarter final.