2016 Leinster Football Championship

[From the Bunker]

http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/cotoole/choosing-nowlan-park-host-laois-dublin-simply-token-gesture/

[Hound]

I don't travel to watch the Dublin hurlers, so that was my first visit to Nowlan Park. Lovely ground, nice location.

I've said this before, but the best way to make Leinster competitive would be to rotate Dublin, as capital, between each of the 4 provinces.

Separately, London and New York should be rotated between every county, so that every county would travel to one of them every 16 years

[Catch and Kick]

Just saw the Sunday Game coverage of the Dubs and Laois last night. Did Dean Rock foul the ball - it looked like he changed the ball from hand to hand?

[Syferus]

I don't travel to watch the Dublin hurlers, so that was my first visit to Nowlan Park. Lovely ground, nice location.

I've said this before, but the best way to make Leinster competitive would be to rotate Dublin, as capital, between each of the 4 provinces.

Separately, London and New York should be rotated between every county, so that every county would travel to one of them every 16 years

Hound surely if you realise Dublin's dominance is a serious retarding factor for Leinster teams you'd also know rotating them would just spread the pain wider? I don't think anyone besides Dublin would enjoy the sight of the juggernaut ambling in to beat the shite into them every four years.

The solution is much more structural than the simplistic solution you've offered.

[muppet]

Just saw the Sunday Game coverage of the Dubs and Laois last night. Did Dean Rock foul the ball - it looked like he changed the ball from hand to hand?

Didn't see what you are talking about, so might not have picked you up right, but it is not a foul when you change the ball from one hand to the other, as long as both hands are touching the ball when it leaves one hand to go to the other.

This is legal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sp30TBN0tQ

As is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3G1bwD0ao0

[seafoid]

I don't travel to watch the Dublin hurlers, so that was my first visit to Nowlan Park. Lovely ground, nice location.

I've said this before, but the best way to make Leinster competitive would be to rotate Dublin, as capital, between each of the 4 provinces.

Separately, London and New York should be rotated between every county, so that every county would travel to one of them every 16 years

not a bad idea.
It would be good for local trade as well

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

All games would still have to played at the neutral Croke Park.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I've said this before, but the best way to make Leinster competitive would be to rotate Dublin, as capital, between each of the 4 provinces.

And sure to make the All-Ireland itself more competitive why don't we send Dublin to play overseas for 3 years out of every 4! 

Seriously, this is skirting around the Leinster 'competitivity' deficit, not actually addressing it, which would be to raise the standard of the rest of the counties (easier said than done, granted).

[Zulu]

I've said this before, but the best way to make Leinster competitive would be to rotate Dublin, as capital, between each of the 4 provinces.

And sure to make the All-Ireland itself more competitive why don't we send Dublin to play overseas for 3 years out of every 4! 

Seriously, this is skirting around the Leinster 'competitivity' deficit, not actually addressing it, which would be to raise the standard of the rest of the counties (easier said than done, granted).

Is Ulster much more competitive? Connacht probably isn't and Munster isn't either. I know I'm a broken record on this but put Dublin in with their division 1 rivals and they may still win the All Ireland but at least the journey would be interesting with plenty of cracking sub plots. As it is, they'll play, at most, 3 competitive games from QF onwards. Kerry/Cork, Mayo/Roscommon might get one more, Tyrone/Donegal/Monaghan potentially 5 competitive games.

Why do we not want a sensible, structured competition where teams of similar ability play each other? Mickey Harte said a team outside of division 1 couldn't win the All Ireland, well it's probably just as true of a provincial title if there is even one division 1 team in it.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

No argument there Zulu, and if we're going to 'break' the Provincial system we might as well do a proper job of it and initiate properly competitive structures for the Championship, with each team playing a similar number of games to reach any given stage.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

The GPA proposal while imperfect would improve the situation massively by simply having more games. More games will still include hammerings but at least there would be a chance of having an odd competitive game to show on television before August. It would be easier for teams to build some momentum too.

[Rossfan]

The GPA proposal had built in hammeringins in it.
The logical change would be to mirror the club situation of Senior/Inter/Junior all Ireland Championships.
Won't happen in my lifetime though.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

But then the small counties would be put in the same situation as the Lory Meagher cup teams where no one will even notice they exist or care. It would kill football even more brutally in the weaker counties.

[armaghniac]

But then the small counties would be put in the same situation as the Lory Meagher cup teams where no one will even notice they exist or care. It would kill football even more brutally in the weaker counties.

Do people notice Carlow footballers, say? The likes of Armagh and Down have bad days, but people still talk about them.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

They would if they had a home game against the likes of Kerry/Mayo in the championship as would happen in the GPA's proposal. Granted they'd more than likely take a hammering but at least there would be an occasion in the town. If they managed to beat a division 3 team in the group stages they would be guaranteed 4 championship games which hasn't happened too often in their history.
Carlow as a county is underachieving and have the potential to be stronger, it is not that long since they were beating Louth and drawing with Meath in the championship.