Over 70% want championship open draw

[thejuice]

I still reckon the format I suggested on a previous thread is the best way. But I guess we all think that about our own ideas, as we all have our own idea on what's wrong with the format.

[Zulu]

In fairness Zulu- the likes of wicklow, fermanagh,longford, carlow, letrim, limerick etc ( i could add another 10 here) have zero chance of all-ireland honours at senior level. Provincial titles are all they have to go for.

I know players from 3 of the weaker counties including Limerick and none of them talk about the provincial championships. The Limerick lads have one eye on it alright but they'd also love to play in CP against one of the big teams, the lads from the other counties would love to win a league medal (div. 4). The Carlow, Waterford, Clare, Longford or Leitrim players have as much of a chance of winning an provincial medal in the next 10 years as I do so I can't understand how this is an argument for retaining the provincal competitions. If winning the league really mattered then every county in Ireland would have a reasonable chance of winning something valuable because they'd be competing with counties of similar standards.

It works at hurling because the technical level of profiecny required by players. Its far easier at football for an average team to beat a good team and so it gives weaker counties soem hope of provincial success.

Eh?

[INDIANA]

I don't agree- wicklow could win a leinster championship with the right draw and a lot of luck - they have no chance of winning an all-ireland. Same for the other counties you named.

I admire the limerick lads ambition but  a first munster title in 100 years would have seen incredible celebrations.

[Zulu]

I don't agree- wicklow could win a leinster championship with the right draw and a lot of luck - they have no chance of winning an all-ireland. Same for the other counties you named.

This is getting a bit off topic and is really idle speculation but there is little or no evidence that most counties can win their provincial title while having a team that has no chance of an AI. I don't think this current Wicklow team have a hope in hell of winning Leinster and I expect them to follow Wexford's example next year. However, the main point is this, even if I accept what you're saying, and I don't, there is so much wrong with the provincial system in terms of the impact it has on formulating a better championship structure, that providing the likes of Wicklow with the chance to win a trophy every 50 years isn't a good enough reason to retain it.

Kildare/Mayo in Castlebar, Cork/Dublin in Croke Park, Galway/Kerry in Killarney, Sligo/Monaghan etc. are all great match ups, yet we rarely get to see them and when we do it is generally after both teams have been beaten in the championship already. We need a format that sees these (and many others) games played more often with both teams wanting to win.

At the moment we have a league that most teams treat with contempt, provincial championships that are half heartedly fought for by the better teams (but they still win them) and an AI championship that diesn't really get off the ground until QF stage or thereabouts. And all this is going on against a backdrop of utter provincial dominance by Dublin, Kerry/Cork, Galway/Mayo and Tyrone/Armagh. Like I said, I'll win a Leinster championship before most players in Leinster outside of the big counties.

[Lazer]

Personally,

I think we should scrap the back door and go back to the old system. But for reasons of money it will never happen.

I'll admit that the Provincial system does create an unequal base, however this could be changed by having the winners from each province go through and also

An additional 2 from Leinster - the losing finalist, plus a play off between the 2 losing semi-finalists
An additional 1 From Ulster - The losing Finalist
An additional 1 from Connacht/Munster - A Play off between the 2 losing finalists

That would leave 8 teams progressing to the All Ireland Quarter Finals and retain the provincial championships.
The only problem with this is that there is no advantage to winning the provincial finals in some provinces.
To add an advantage to winning the provincial championship - exclude the Provincial champion from any preliminary round draw the following year