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GAA is rare in that it runs off its main competition in so few games. Of the 16 Sam Maguire teams they'll average about 4-5 outings each, with the finalists getting 7-9 . Compare that with Soccer leagues (30-40), NFL (17 minimum), NBA (82 min) etc.

People will mention the national league, but until something radical changes either in structure or GAA psyche, the league will remain little more than a warm-up competition.

Personally id love if the championship season was much bigger and longer. I'll concede though that attendances were relatively poor for those group stage games, so perhaps that isn't the popular public view. What they've come up with is a decent compromise imo

I'll never understand anyone wanting a return to straight knockout, or anything close to it.
1) You're asking your counties players to train for 9 months, for what may be one solitary outing.
2) How can you dislike top level football enough to potentially watch your team play 1 game of football all summer, all in the name of "jeopardy"?

Fcuk jeopardy. The more football the better

Easy. First, it enhances the excitement factor of games. Second, county teams also train for the League (the fact that a culture of irrelevance has been applied to it is not a reason to ignore it). Third, it provides for a more open competition where a "giant killing" can lead to greater rewards as opposed to further rounds before you meet a Kerry who beat you.

There remains plenty of football if the fan is interested and having one extra game (for some counties) isn't going to make a blind bit of difference.

I'd like something like this but I know it'll never happen.
Rd 1: 8 div 4 teams v 8 div 3 teams
Rd 2: 8 rd 1 winners v 8 div 2 teams (16 losers from opening 2 rounds enter the Tailteann Cup.)
Rd 3: 8 rd 2 winners v 8 Div 1 teams

From there you go into the AI quarter finals and run off the competition. Provincial championships can still be played pre the AI seriesand will still matter more in some provinces than others.
I personally would give the higher ranked teams home advantage in the opening 3 rounds as that's their reward for doing well in the league, however I wouldn't be against an alternative that gives the lower ranked team home advantage or else a toss of a coin.

Is there any reason why GAA games take approximately 20 minutes to restart once it goes to ET? Surely they should be kept out on the pitch and given 5/10 minutes and get on with it.

From Ulster GAA

Kelly was booked for Armagh I'm pretty sure.

[We are still top 16 team]

Agree. Lav put a target on our back after the Donegal win. Too much talk of screen savers and such nonsense. He should've played it down. Kerry, Donegal and Armagh was too much 3 weeks on the trot. Massive task to lift these lads now for a B competition. We are still top 16 team just unlucky the way its fallen. Hopefully the lads see out the summer and dont go to America where there is always the lure of a few quid.

That's debatable. At present they're a yo-yo side, anywhere from 14-18 if you were ranking teams.
Yes Down have good players but the drop off outside of your top 2/3 players to the rest is massive. Other counties have had the same issue in recent years (Louth with Mulroy for example) but over time have managed to develop players and create a bit more depth. Laverty's challenge over the next few years will be steadying the ship in division 2, ensuring they actually are a solid top 16 team and that will inevitably lead to players developing quicker and creating that depth they're currently lacking. From there, you can push on to division 1 in a good year. Division 2 next year won't be easy however, but if the key men stay fit Down should probably be ok. If Murdock was to be injured you'd question who would step up in his place.

A lad raised a point with me last night in regarding the two semi-finals and the two different defeats for Derry and Down - he asked who's camp would you rather be in when you wake up this morning?

Derry for various reasons.

1) they're still in the AI. They can get another crack at Monaghan this summer to rectify it, Down can't.

2) they know they should have won the game both in normal time and ET. They lost to a team who got a bit of momentum and with the 2 point rule that can be huge. Down on the other hand were embarrassed.

3) their better players have shown in the past the levels they can reach, Down are nowhere near that level and have a fair way to go to get close.

Jees lads, crazy hard to follow this forum with everything on one topic!

Is there a charge per new topic or something!? 

I've often thought the same. At least separate club and county chats into separate topics - maybe even hurling too.

As an Armagh man, it was just one of those days where everything went right. As nice as it is to get such a comprehensive win over your biggest rivals, I don't think anybody truly believes that Down gave a fair reflection of themselves. I recall Armagh getting a humbling from Tyrone in the 2017 AI QF and it's a pretty empty feeling that eradicates the positivity from the weeks beforehand.

I'd still fancy Down strongly for the Tailteann - they need to make sure it's their last foray into it however for the foreseeable future, otherwise any signs of apparent progress over the past couple of years will be questioned, and rightly so.
Down can take comfort in the journey Armagh have gone on over the past 12 years however. A division 3 title in 2015, relegation in 2016 and another division 3 in 2018. No significant win in Ulster for many years during that era, including defeats to Down in 2017 and Fermanagh in 2018 - albeit a few good performances in the qualifiers and a tough  loss to Mayo in 2019 showed there was potential for progress. Down appear to be a similar journey at the moment and probably need to be patient over the next few years while Laverty continues to build his squad.

The 2 pointer has been a terrible rule, certainly in its current form. I'd understand if it had been from outside the 45 to actually encourage great scores-instead we have what were always routine points now worth double. Other than the solo and go I don't think any of the other rule changes have significantly improved the game-don't get me started on the 1v1 throw in!

In a strange way the amount of people tipping Down to cause another upset and questioning Armagh to an extent (injuries, missing players, no midfield, etc) is almost reassuring me that Armagh will get over the line. A week ago all we heard was Donegal will win pulling up etc, that sort of talk no doubt gets into a players head. Armagh have heard the exact opposite this week, and the fact it's a huge derby game with a large crowd expected will hammer home to the players how big of a game it really is.

I'm always wary of Down, growing up in Newry does that to you - but I'm going to go for Armagh by 3.

[scummy soccer]

I don't think I even want to go to the Ulster final if it's going to be Derry v Armagh.
Those big Armagh games are essentially just big student parties. At the 2023 final the hill was full of young women covered in make up and wearing skimpy outfits who spent the full game flirting with the young men with bowl hair cuts.
If I have to stand on the hill with Armagh fans again I would rather not go at all.

Cry more.

There is unfortunately a LARGE group of Armagh fans who love to treat these games as an excuse to get drunk and act the fool. Moreso than any other county.

I blame all the headers from Lurgan. I can't say it annoys me that much. We were all young once.

It would annoy you if you had kids at the game and they were surrounded by that. No doubt Down will have their share also of these fair weather fans. With it being a bank holiday weekend id say the booze buses will be at a maximum. No problen.with youngsters enjoying themselves but the behaviour can be veey questionable. And how they get thr booze in. What do the Garda be at. I will be avoiding the hill 

They do have bag checks heading up towards the ground but wouldn't take James Bond to get drink past them. Gaurds need to be doing more and drag anyone acting the bollix out, does be a scummy soccerfeel at times

Ahh wise up ffs!

Great result for Down yesterday and if there's one county that thrives on a bit of momentum then it's definitely Down.
As an Armagh man I'm far from convinced by our performances so far, but I'd be cautiously optimistic that we have enough about to us to win by a couple of points. After Down's win yesterday a lot of people will fancy them to push on. It's a big derby game and Down will definitely be up for it and bring a decent sized crowd, hopefully Armagh can put a full 70 minutes together.

2 organisations are poles apart. GAA at grass roots the best sporting organisation on the planet.

Ah, here we go again.

Rules and Regulations of Matches

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0413/1567907-friday-night-games-bring-it-on/


What's peoples opinion on this? Would need to be 2 neighbouring counties.

Would players be happy?

Any rule not to play?

I'm sure Armagh vs Tyrone would have worked on Friday night there and got a big crowd in, obviously not feasible if it wasn't a neighbouring county. Only issue I would have is that club league games are Friday nights in Armagh, something players have asked for for years.

If the only issue you have is it clashing with a club fixture then you need to give your head a wobble. That's the biggest 'non-issue' of the lot. Last weekend the club games took place on Saturday evening because Armagh were playing on Sunday-club fixtures are easily moved, especially league games.

As for players asking for Friday night club games - I quite like Friday night club games myself, but they aren't a new phenomenon in Armagh, we've had a mix of Sunday afternoon and Friday night fixtures for as long as I can remember, and still do.

None of these players work.?

Not sure what sort of workaholics yous boys are but if you aren't red up by half 7 on a Friday evening you'd wonder what you're bothering for.

Not every time slot can suit every supporter of our games, I get that, but that's a ridiculous take. Not sure if it was an attempt at humour or you're actually just trying to annoy people with such silly arguments.

Touch a nerve?

Obviously thats not much of an issue and easily resolved by moving the league games to Saturday/Sunday on the very odd occasion Friday night county games could be a possibility, doesn't seem to be much clamour for them though.

I wouldn't say it touched a nerve. Just seemed a bit of a daft thing to say when people are actually trying to debate the pros and cons of the issue.

I don't care if we don't have Friday night championship games personally, weekends work fine.  League games on a Friday night (such as the time Armagh hosted Down about 15 years ago) might be a better idea.
If it was restricted to one or two a week and aired on TV it would be interesting to see the viewing figures compared to attendance in person.

Rules and Regulations of Matches

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0413/1567907-friday-night-games-bring-it-on/


What's peoples opinion on this? Would need to be 2 neighbouring counties.

Would players be happy?

Any rule not to play?

I'm sure Armagh vs Tyrone would have worked on Friday night there and got a big crowd in, obviously not feasible if it wasn't a neighbouring county. Only issue I would have is that club league games are Friday nights in Armagh, something players have asked for for years.

If the only issue you have is it clashing with a club fixture then you need to give your head a wobble. That's the biggest 'non-issue' of the lot. Last weekend the club games took place on Saturday evening because Armagh were playing on Sunday-club fixtures are easily moved, especially league games.

As for players asking for Friday night club games - I quite like Friday night club games myself, but they aren't a new phenomenon in Armagh, we've had a mix of Sunday afternoon and Friday night fixtures for as long as I can remember, and still do.

None of these players work.?

Not sure what sort of workaholics yous boys are but if you aren't red up by half 7 on a Friday evening you'd wonder what you're bothering for.

Not every time slot can suit every supporter of our games, I get that, but that's a ridiculous take. Not sure if it was an attempt at humour or you're actually just trying to annoy people with such silly arguments.

Tickets are out tomorrow morning. Expect an absolute dogfight with at least one black or red card. Hope Geezer leaves the poor flags alone though.

Home advantage should swing it for us but make no mistake Tyrone are absolutely sitting in the long grass. Still have plenty of quality players, there was a 15 posted here a week or 2 back that would be well capable of beating Armagh.

I don't think home advantage will have much of a bearing and despite what the bookies might say, there's not much between the 2 teams.
I don't care what anybody says about the league form etc, once Tyrone knew they realistically wouldn't be relegated everything they were doing was working towards championship, league games were just fixtures that had to be fulfilled. Tyrone were in an AI semi final last year and were a kick of a ball away from beating Armagh in Ulster, they'll have no fear or inferiority complex travelling to the Athletic Grounds.

Tyrone didn't know they were safe until late in the league, so what's the excuse for all the preceding games?

Armagh home advantage is as strong an advantage any county team have at home.

They were never in serious danger of relegation at any point.

I beg to differ on the home advantage point. As nice as it is to play at home I don't put much weight on it in a game such as this. I hope Armagh win, but I fancy Tyrone to do what they did to Donegal last year and turn us over.

Tyrone were definitely in the running for relegation. If you dont think losing nearly all your games doesn't bring you into that conversation then you are simply biased. Tyrone beat Cavan, were lucky to beat Offaly who everybody else was hammering, and lost the rest bar the draw.

Biased? I'm from Armagh, I'd love nothing better than to see Tyrone relegated. The idea it was a close run thing however is far from the case.