Messages

have any of the times for saturday/sunday been confirmed by GAA yet?

[in your own province]

Here's a suggestion.......(This will get shot down I'm sure, but I don't think I've seen anyone else suggest anything similar!)

Scrap the qualifiers as they are. Keep the AI Q-finals as they are at present (or revert to last year's format where all q-finals were on August bank holiday weekend).

Each province to have 2 representatives in AI q-finals (Provincial winners plus 1 other from each province)

The one other from each province to be determined by a back door in your own province.

So for example, in Leinster Dublin or meath (whoever wins the final) would go to AI q-final and the loser of Dublin/meath would go into 'the Leinster qualifier series'.
The earlier a team is knocked out of a provincial championship the more games they would have to play to get through to AI q-final. So in the case of Dublin/meath, the loser would have just one game to play to get into AI q-final.

Benefits: provincial systems maintained; better chance for weaker teams to get to AI q-final (e.g. one victory over cork/kerry could be enough to get clare/tipperary to AI Q-final)
Negatives: Still an element of unfairness (i.e. strong teams in weak provinces have 2 chances at an easy route to AI q-final)

1. Why on earth do we want weaker teams in an AI quarter final?
2. Why on earth would you address the unequal nature of the provincial system by giving it greater emphasis?

Not trying to be rude, but this is one of the daftest posts I've seen on the board.

Ha Ha, I expected to be shot down, just not quite as bluntly as that!!! 

The reality of the situation is, to solve the 'problem' it first must be agreed what the problem is!

Is the problem that the best teams don't get to the latter stages of the championship?
Is the problem that the best teams DO get to the latter stages of the championship?

What constitutes a 'fair' championship? - one where every team plays the same no. of games? One where every team has an equal chance of winning? One where the best team always wins?

If everybody answered these questions honestly, we could have very different views as to what the problem is, and therefore getting a solution will be extremely difficulty!

[in your own province]

Here's a suggestion.......(This will get shot down I'm sure, but I don't think I've seen anyone else suggest anything similar!)

Scrap the qualifiers as they are. Keep the AI Q-finals as they are at present (or revert to last year's format where all q-finals were on August bank holiday weekend).

Each province to have 2 representatives in AI q-finals (Provincial winners plus 1 other from each province)

The one other from each province to be determined by a back door in your own province.

So for example, in Leinster Dublin or meath (whoever wins the final) would go to AI q-final and the loser of Dublin/meath would go into 'the Leinster qualifier series'.
The earlier a team is knocked out of a provincial championship the more games they would have to play to get through to AI q-final. So in the case of Dublin/meath, the loser would have just one game to play to get into AI q-final.

Benefits: provincial systems maintained; better chance for weaker teams to get to AI q-final (e.g. one victory over cork/kerry could be enough to get clare/tipperary to AI Q-final)
Negatives: Still an element of unfairness (i.e. strong teams in weak provinces have 2 chances at an easy route to AI q-final)