2019 Allianz National Hurling League

[burdizzo]

Dublin have it all to play for next week with Waterford u against Galway. Could sneak a playoff spot. Offaly might avoid relegation playoff if they beat Carlow. All up in the air.

Eh? I thought Offaly would be in the relegation no matter what, and that Dublin were in the quarter-finals anyway, too? The only question would be if Offaly would give it a lash against Carlow, or not?

[Mossy Bruce]

..Offaly might avoid relegation playoff if they beat Carlow. ...

Even if Offaly win, I think they are still going to be in the relegation playoff as they would then have 1 win, 0 draws, and 4 losses. If Carlow and Laois both lose, next week, they will each have 3 losses.

[redsetanta]

You're right. All Offaly can do is decide who they'd rather play. Don't know what I was smoking earlier.

[Don Draper]

You're right. All Offaly can do is decide who they'd rather play. Don't know what I was smoking earlier.

They wont want to lose to Carlow, you can be sure as shit of that. I think Offaly will beat them.

[G@@]

Offaly beating Carlow sends us to the Quarter Finals no matter what the result in Parnell Park. However, if in the very unlikely event that we beat Dublin there we wouldn't be looking to O'Connor Park for a favourable result as we'd go through regardless.
A win for Carlow puts us in a relegation dogfight with Offaly.
Things come down to scoring difference if Offaly and Carlow draw. An interesting finale to this league either which way!

[Don Draper]

Offaly beating Carlow sends us to the Quarter Finals no matter what the result in Parnell Park. However, if in the very unlikely event that we beat Dublin there we wouldn't be looking to O'Connor Park for a favourable result as we'd go through regardless.
A win for Carlow puts us in a relegation dogfight with Offaly.
Things come down to scoring difference if Offaly and Carlow draw. An interesting finale to this league either which way!

Am I right in thinking, barring we lose by a single point to Dublin, scoring difference is out?

[burdizzo]

If we end level on points w/ Carlow, it's head to head, and then scoring difference. Carlow have a better scoring difference than us.
I just can't see Offaly beating Carlow in Carlow. Carlow were probably marginally better than us, their forwards scored a little more freely than ours, even though our half-back line did pretty well. Jack Kelly limped off, but it didn't look too bad. However, we still had the chances to put them away, especially when they went down to 14. We did well to claw it back, but it's a lost opportunity, no doubt.

[Laois Rising]

Will Offaly have home advantage in a relegation play off since they had to travel to Portlaoise and Netwatch Park for the group games. Having to play Offaly in Tullamore (a team that will be gunning for revenge will be difficult)- Offaly also have the advantage of having a couple of weeks to mentally prepare themselves for that relegation play-off. Huge ramifications for the loser of that game. Division 2a hurling playing counties like London, Mayo, Meath and Kildare will not aid the development of Laois hurling. Also hard to entice lads to commit next year with no real rewards to play for-unless we end up winning the Joe McDonagh. Then you would be faced with paradoxical situation of being a Divsion 2a standard league team but tier 1 championship team. 

[Don Draper]

Will Offaly have home advantage in a relegation play off since they had to travel to Portlaoise and Netwatch Park for the group games. Having to play Offaly in Tullamore (a team that will be gunning for revenge will be difficult)- Offaly also have the advantage of having a couple of weeks to mentally prepare themselves for that relegation play-off. Huge ramifications for the loser of that game. Division 2a hurling playing counties like London, Mayo, Meath and Kildare will not aid the development of Laois hurling. Also hard to entice lads to commit next year with no real rewards to play for-unless we end up winning the Joe McDonagh. Then you would be faced with paradoxical situation of being a Divsion 2a standard league team but tier 1 championship team.

Then perhaps those lads should have scored an extra auld point yesterday.

[blueandwhite1]

If we end level on points w/ Carlow, it's head to head, and then scoring difference. Carlow have a better scoring difference than us.
I just can't see Offaly beating Carlow in Carlow. Carlow were probably marginally better than us, their forwards scored a little more freely than ours, even though our half-back line did pretty well. Jack Kelly limped off, but it didn't look too bad. However, we still had the chances to put them away, especially when they went down to 14. We did well to claw it back, but it's a lost opportunity, no doubt.

Yes we could have won on the day but I agree with your comment about them being marginally better than us. Their skills were better - catching, rising, controlling the ball on the stick and getting rid of the ball under pressure. We had way too many lads who's first touch and basic hurling ability was nowhere near inter county standard. Some of them will improve but some of them are unlikely to ever get there. On the upside, the harrassing of Carlow when they were on the ball was impressive and we won a lot of ball this way. Great to see Cha back. We need 3-4 more quick scoring forwards. Best for me yesterday were Aaron Dunphy, who was our only scoring threat from play, and Ryan Mullaney. Rowland and Kavanagh did well from dead balls. Everyone worked like dogs for the 75 minutes and it is definitely an improvement over last year.

Having watched both matches, Carlow are miles ahead of Offaly. Unless Carlow collapse and Offaly turn things around very fast I can't see Offaly turning them over.

[LooseCannon]

Will Offaly have home advantage in a relegation play off since they had to travel to Portlaoise and Netwatch Park for the group games. Having to play Offaly in Tullamore (a team that will be gunning for revenge will be difficult)- Offaly also have the advantage of having a couple of weeks to mentally prepare themselves for that relegation play-off. Huge ramifications for the loser of that game. Division 2a hurling playing counties like London, Mayo, Meath and Kildare will not aid the development of Laois hurling. Also hard to entice lads to commit next year with no real rewards to play for-unless we end up winning the Joe McDonagh. Then you would be faced with paradoxical situation of being a Divsion 2a standard league team but tier 1 championship team.

We'll play it in Birr!

[blueandwhite1]

Offaly might be fired up to beat Carlow at the weekend and do us a favour:

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0228/1033570-offaly-league-relegation/

With the league structures the way they will be next year its hard to see who the winners and losers will be.

I think it would be better for everyone if we had a Joe McDonagh type league with the likes of Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Antrim, Westmeath and Kerry with the winners playing a promotion relegation game against the worst division 1 team to see if they are worthy of promotion to the top table and the bottom team doing the same with winners of division 3. You would have 5 competitive league games with a championship to follow and path to promotion. The gap between the top teams and this second team is staggering, as is the gap between our peer group and the teams below us.

[Don Draper]

Offaly might be fired up to beat Carlow at the weekend and do us a favour:

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0228/1033570-offaly-league-relegation/

With the league structures the way they will be next year its hard to see who the winners and losers will be.

I think it would be better for everyone if we had a Joe McDonagh type league with the likes of Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Antrim, Westmeath and Kerry with the winners playing a promotion relegation game against the worst division 1 team to see if they are worthy of promotion to the top table and the bottom team doing the same with winners of division 3. You would have 5 competitive league games with a championship to follow and path to promotion. The gap between the top teams and this second team is staggering, as is the gap between our peer group and the teams below us.

I can see this game being a bloodbath. There'll be murder at it.

[Mossy Bruce]

Anyone have a recommendation for a Dublin radio station that might cover the match?

[Laois Rising]

https://www.dublincityfm.ie/shows/on-the-ball

They have a sunday sports programme from around 3pm every week. Might have some commentary from the game but with footballers playing I imagine that will get precedence.