Breheny's Big Ideas

[MayoBuck]

I don't think the provincials should be dropped but the link between them and the all Ireland championship(s) needs to be broken. It's not right that Kerry, for example, can sleep walk into the last 8 year after year while Mayo could draw Galway in a Connacht quarter final and the loser will have to go through 4 rounds of qualifiers to reach the same stage.

Provincial championships should finish in mid June and then there should be a draw for an A and B all Ireland championship. I think two 16 team straight knockout competitions would be very exciting. There's no need to have a group stage.

[RadioGAAGAA]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/martin-breheny-football-lost-in-time-warp-as-hurling-formula-thrives-38067260.html

Couldn't read without logging in

It'll be a load of shite as usual.

Straight knockout with all teams having to play home/away on alternate (or as near as) years means the chances of one of the big teams slipping up are increased - which opens the competition up to other winners.

A bad team has a better chance of beating a good team on one day than beating the same team over a mini-league - ergo it acts as a leveller. All the blowing from journos will never change that rather inescapable reality.

But of course, straight knockout means less games which means less €€€.

[Rossfan]

A Championship is about finding the best team not trying to get bad teams to beat good teams.
No matter what system you use a bad team won't win the AI and nobody wants the kind of 20 point margins that used to occur in All Ireland semis.

[RadioGAAGAA]

A Championship is about finding the best team not trying to get bad teams to beat good teams.
No matter what system you use a bad team won't win the AI and nobody wants the kind of 20 point margins that used to occur in All Ireland semis.

Like Dublin beating Tyrone by 2-17 to 0-11 a couple of years back?

[Rossfan]

Long way from 12 to 20😉

[RadioGAAGAA]

Long way from 12 to 20

Might as well be 120 as 12.

The match was a non-contest - which is what you are wanting to avoid.

edit: Looking back (had time when computer was running stuff - even though I was telling myself to wise up after thinking about doing it  )

Between 2001 and 2018, there were 5 semi-finals separated by double figures (largest = 15 pts - twice).
Between 1983 and 2000, there were 4 semi-finals separated by double figures (largest = 20 pts).

Between 2001 and 2018, there were 5 semi-final draws.
Between 1983 and 2000, there were also 5 semi-final draws.

Between 2001 and 2018, the average winning margin was 4.7 points.
Between 1983 and 2000, the average winning margin was 5.1 points.


If we used 6 points as a demarkation point for a one-sided affair; then in both time gaps, there were the exact same number of matches that had a 6 point or greater margin; 14.


The stats really don't back up the idea that straight knockout would lead to more mismatches at the AI semi-final stage.


[numbers based on first fixture; excludes replays. If you want to include them - be my guest!]