National hurling league Round 1

[AZOffaly]

I reckon that Div 2 next year will be a decent standard. Obviously the promoted Div 2 sides will struggle. But taking my own county Carlow, last year we drew with Laois in the league, we beat them a few weeks ago in a challenge. The year Offaly were in Div 2, we beat Offaly in Carlow. We ended up in the Div 2 final against them & ok we got wiped out in the end.
But honestly the likes of us, Down, Westmeath etc need to be playing the Laois, Wex, Offaly & Antrims to develop. For us games against teams like Armagh & London are just a waste of time. We rest the regulars & still get an easy win.
What is the point of Galway 6-26-Laois 0-6?! Div 1 8 best teams & div 2 next best 8 makes so much sense to me.
I can guarantee no matter who ends up in div 2 next year, there will not be a 38 point win by any team like has happened in div 1 this year.

The frustrating thing for us is that Laois beat us by a point!! And we drew with Galway!!! Explain that to me

[stevecw]

The frustrating thing for us is that Laois beat us by a point!! And we drew with Galway!!! Explain that to me

Honestly cant explain that 1. It makes no sense to be honest.
But no matter what, i reckon Offaly & Laois do belong more in the new Div 2, than in the top division.
Offaly v Antrim, Wex, Laois, Down, Carlow, W'Meath makes more sense than facing Kilkenny, Waterford etc.

[AZOffaly]

The frustrating thing for us is that Laois beat us by a point!! And we drew with Galway!!! Explain that to me

Honestly cant explain that 1. It makes no sense to be honest.
But no matter what, i reckon Offaly & Laois do belong more in the new Div 2, than in the top division.
Offaly v Antrim, Wex, Laois, Down, Carlow, W'Meath makes more sense than facing Kilkenny, Waterford etc.

I would agree with you, we can have no complaints, but as POTH mentioned, we actually have done fairly well in the League games, especially at home. We've drawn and beaten Waterford. Drawn with Cork, Drawn with Galway, I think we either drew or beat Clare and Wexford.

We've had good results, and actually qualified for a quarter finals a couple of years ago.

[Bacon]

With regard to the make up of next years national hurling league, I believe it should definitely go ahead, especially with some of the results that have occured during the current national league. Laois, Wexford, Antrim and Offaly have suffered huge defeats to the bigger teams, and I believe that it doesnt have any value to have these type of games.

So the make up for next year is looking like

Division 1
Kilkenny
Cork
Tipperary
Limerick
Waterford
Galway
Dublin
Clare

Division 2
Offaly
Antrim
Wexford
Laois
Down
Carlow
Westmeath
Kerry


Division 3
Derry
Kildare
Mayo
Wicklow
Meath
Donegal
South Down?
London

These Divisions look far better balanced than what we have at present.  Hard to see anyone other than Kilkenny winning the league this year.  Down are in a good position to qualify for Div 2 - a 7 point win over London in Newry guarantees second place. Carlow are probably favorites for the title.  Donegal can win Div 3 and in Div 4 it looks like a South Down v Monaghan final.

[AZOffaly]

I tend to agree Bacon, about the balanced Divisions. I mean Offaly will expect to get promoted, but will have to work for it, as Laois beat us this year, Antrim beat us in the Walsh Cup final, and Carlow beat us in the league a couple of years ago. Also Westmeath, Kerry and Down won't be pushovers.

The problem, as I see it, is that in two years time, some serious heavyweights will be coming down, and essentially promotion pushes for the likes of Offaly, Wexford, Antrim and Laois will be every 2 years, as someone like Clare, Dublin, Limerick or Tipp would fancy themselves to walk back up.

Then if Offaly or Wexford manage to stay up in two years time, you would see the another big name drop down.

I think you'll see 3 or 4 yo-yo counties, with 2 of them at least being far better than the rest of Division 2.

[imtommygunn]

I'm not sure the rules. It'd be good to see one up one down and then a playoff between 2nd top and 2nd bottom though.

Not so sure about yo yoing as Dublin wouldn't always beat Offaly / Wexford plus I think Clare are on a downward spiral which will only get worse before it gets better. Limerick blow hot and cold against better opposition but always demolish weaker opposition so hard to know what they will do. Dublin and Clare would be my favourites for bottom two though.

[Bacon]

Result in Div 2 - Down 2-16 0-13 London.  Down have probably done enough to finish second. Carlow play Derry tomorrow. Here's the updated table.


Allianz NHL Div 2B

         Pld  W  D L Diff  Pts
Down  5  3 1 1 25  7
Carlow 4   3  1  0  22  7 
Derry  4    3    0 1 -7  6 
Meath 4 2 0 2  26 4 
Armagh 4 1 0 3  -16 2 
London 4 0  0  5 -50  0 

[INDIANA]

tommy- i think in 2-3 years it will be a while before offaly and wexford beat dublin again- i realy mean that.

My main point is this farce that dublin may have to playoff against wexford. Cork had no bearing on the results between the two counties and dublin should be permitted to stay up on scoring difference as per the rules. Dublin are being royally screwed to the floor again- it seems to be ok to be relegated from div1 if you're a perceived minnow. Why can't the likes of Wexford accept they were beaten fair and square this year and take their punishment- it really is a farce.

[Sky Blue]

What exactly is Wexford's problem? Time for them to stop whingin and get on with preparing for Div 2.

Wexford fuming over relegation ruling
26 March 2008

Wexford have expressed their disgust at the decision to relegate them to Division 2 of the NHL rather than afford them a play-off against Dublin.

The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) opted to relegate the Slaneysiders on the basis that they had an inferior scoring difference to Dublin after the counties finished on the same points in Division 1A. And Wexford's anger was added to when Waterford and Cork were ordered to play off on Sunday to determine the league quarter-final pairings.

Wexford chairman Ger Doyle was seething at the outcome, while manager John Meyler described it as a "kick in the teeth" for his team.

Meyler said: "It's not going to do any good for hurling in Wexford where we are trying to build and we get a kick in the teeth.

"I am disappointed. The mind boggles of how you can come up with Waterford and Cork in a play-off and Wexford relegated and Dublin stay in Division 1. You are making the rules up as you go along.

"They are going to make the rules. I don't think Wexford have any power or say at the top table."
Wexford chairman Doyle claimed that the rules have been interpreted wrongly by the CCCC.

"I am fairly annoyed with them (the CCCC) at the moment. Jimmy Dunne was of the opinion they would have a play-off, but whoever has advised the chairman of the Committee they don't need play-offs, I just can't figure it out. The rule is there."

Doyle traced the problem to the row in Cork which resulted in Kilkenny and Waterford being awarded walkovers.

"That's the crux of the problem. If Cork gave two walkovers they should be thrown out and they certainly should not be entitled to a play-off. I'm not personally against Cork. That's just a rule."

[Plain of the Herbs]

Laois hurling's raison d'etre is to beat Offaly. Just that - nothing else. Not survival; not beating a Munster team; not brating any other neigbouring county.
They acheived their target for the league just passed. Their next target is the Leinster quarter final.

The frustrating thing for us is that Laois beat us by a point!! And we drew with Galway!!! Explain that to me

[AZOffaly]

Laois hurling's raison d'etre is to beat Offaly. Just that - nothing else. Not survival; not beating a Munster team; not brating any other neigbouring county.
They acheived their target for the league just passed. Their next target is the Leinster quarter final.

The frustrating thing for us is that Laois beat us by a point!! And we drew with Galway!!! Explain that to me

I know that POTH, what I'm asking is how can Offaly be so repectable against Galway, and even Clare, and then lose to Laois.?It's more a comment on Offaly than Laois' ability to raise themselves at the sight of the faithful.

[stevecw]

Am i the only one thinks Div 2 cud be a great thing.
Its gona be Wexford, Offaly, Antrim, Laois, Carlow, Down, W'Meath & Kerry
4 of these teams are evenly matched. Carlow drew with laois last yr, beat Offaly 2 years ago. Down have been in Div 1 recently. W'mth beat the Dubs last year in championship. I reckon its more even than having GW 6-26-0-6 Laois!. What is the point of that. Wait till we see next years div 1 & 2 im sure there wont be a game with more than 15 points in it in either Div. Lets see, but i bet im right.

[AZOffaly]

If Offaly bother their arses they will beat Carlow, Westmeath, Down and Kerry by more than 15 points. The problem is they will stroll through it, get caught on the hop by someone, and end up wasting away down there. It's going to be a dogfight to get out of the division, you are right about that.

[johnneycool]

If Offaly bother their arses they will beat Carlow, Westmeath, Down and Kerry by more than 15 points. The problem is they will stroll through it, get caught on the hop by someone, and end up wasting away down there. It's going to be a dogfight to get out of the division, you are right about that.

Next years Div2 is is good for the likes of Carlow, Westmeath, Down and Kerry as it's a step up but not that big of a step up, but is it good for Wexford and Offaly who are currently shadows of their former selves, probably not but you are where you are for a reason. I can still recall Down relegating Kilkenny to Div2 in the early nineties which kickstarted a rootbranch review of all things hurling in Kilkenny and look where they are today. Sometimes dillusions of grandeur can be misleading and it may be a blessing in disguse for some.

[AZOffaly]

I don't think anyone in Offaly is deluding themselves with grandeur at the moment Johnnycool. We are where we deserve to be, because we couldn't get the results we needed. Losing to Laois was brutal, and Clare should have been winnable in Tullamore as well.

My comment about bothering their arses is definitely a dig at Offaly, not at the other teams, I didn't mean it to sound like that. But over the past couple of years Offaly have drawn with Cork, Beaten Waterford away, drawn with Galway and Clare, drew with Waterford at home and a few other results. In fact the Limerick defeat in Tullamore was the end of a nigh on 3 year unbeaten home run in the League.

Even given the fact that we are struggling to really compete consistently with the big boys, we are still closer than a lot of people might think, especially on league form. (We were in the 1/4 finals a couple of years ago.)

My comment stems from frustration, because I know Offaly won't beat those teams by 10 or 15 points.