Christy Ring 09

[stevecw]

The 2009 Christy Ring championship starts earlier that usual this year, with the 1st 4 games taking place on Saturday.

Down v Derry
Kerry v Mayo
Westmeath v Kildare
Wicklow v Carlow

Probably as usual not much interest in this, and the 2 faves Carlow and Westmeath don't even want to be in competition anymore!
But it should be competitive enough this year as there is only the 8 teams and Carlow, Westmeath and Down have a realistic chance of winning.

Best part of it this year is that the eventual winner gets automatic promotion to Liam McCarthy next year.

Carlow won CR last year playing 6 weeks in a row, including trips to Down, Mayo and Kerry. Then after winning final on sunday evening after extra time (and of course all the celebrating that went with that) were made play the play off game v Laois on the following Saturday despite requests to defer it for a week

At least this year after many complaints from Westmeath especially and also Carlow that play off is gone.

For this weekend i see wins for:
Down, Kerry, Westmeath & Carlow.

[INDIANA]

Should be very competitive this year with promotion at stake. Has real meaning now.

[Gnevin]

Why Leinster can include Galway and Antrim but not Westmeath, Carlow and Wicklow is beyond me . We should have a rest of Leinster competition with the finalist entering the first round of the Leinster championship proper

[INDIANA]

westmeath and carlows exclsuion this year is nothing short of a disgrace in my view.

[The GAA]

I think down have every chance this year but are a long way from bing ready to compete for Liam. realistically, none of these teams are ready for that leap but i suppose progress has to start somwhere

[johnneycool]

I think down have every chance this year but are a long way from bing ready to compete for Liam. realistically, none of these teams are ready for that leap but i suppose progress has to start somwhere

Down don't have the players with the right attitude to win the Rackard let alone the Christy Ring.

They'd need to get thier act together quick pronto if they are to beat Derry who for their problems always put up a battle and a lot of the current Down team haven't the stomach for a battle.

Carlow are my bet as they have decent young hurlers who play as a team.

[Gnevin]

My Leinster Championship would be , preliminary round
1 Carlow
2 Kildare
3 Longford
4 Louth
5 Meath
6 Westmeath
7 Wicklow
8 Fingal

9 1 V 8
10 2 V 7
11 3 V 6
12 4 V 5

13  9 V 10
14 11V 12

15 13 V14

13 and 14 enter Leinster unless 13 or 14 is  Fingal then the semi-finalist they beat enter .


Leinster proper

   
1 Dublin
2 Kilkenny
3 Laois
4 Offaly
5 Wexford
6 Antrim
7 Galway
8 Winners of 13
9 Winners of 14

Straight quarter finals  with a play off for the extra team. Unseeded draw too.

[Lecale2]

What way is this competition being run this year? Groups or knock out or something else?

[INDIANA]

My Leinster Champion would be , preliminary round
1 Carlow
2 Kildare
3 Longford
4 Louth
5 Meath
6 Westmeath
7 Wicklow
8 Fingal

9 1 V 8
10 2 V 7
11 3 V 6
12 4 V 5

13  9 V 10
14 11V 12

15 13 V14

13 and 14 enter Leinster unless 13 or 14 is  Fingal the ,the semi-finalist they beat enter .


Leinster proper

   
1 Dublin
2 Kilkenny
3 Laois
4 Offaly
5 Wexford
6 Antrim
7 Galway
8 Winners of 13
9 Winners of 14

Straight quarter finals  with a play off for the extra team. Unseeded draw too.

I like it- very workable as well.

[stevecw]

The 2009 Christy Ring championship starts earlier that usual this year, with the 1st 4 games taking place on Saturday.

Down v Derry
Kerry v Mayo
Westmeath v Kildare
Wicklow v Carlow

Probably as usual not much interest in this, and the 2 faves Carlow and Westmeath don't even want to be in competition anymore!
But it should be competitive enough this year as there is only the 8 teams and Carlow, Westmeath and Down have a realistic chance of winning.

Best part of it this year is that the eventual winner gets automatic promotion to Liam McCarthy next year.

Carlow won CR last year playing 6 weeks in a row, including trips to Down, Mayo and Kerry. Then after winning final on sunday evening after extra time (and of course all the celebrating that went with that) were made play the play off game v Laois on the following Saturday despite requests to defer it for a week

At least this year after many complaints from Westmeath especially and also Carlow that play off is gone.

For this weekend i see wins for:
Down, Kerry, Westmeath & Carlow.

Damn, sadly i found out today that this is not true. Even though the motion was passed, it doesn't come into effect until 2010 Seems crazy to me, why not bring it in straight away?
So yet another kick in the teeth for Westmeath and Carlow. Of course its a disgrace that these 2 teams are not involved in the Leinster championship while Antrim (who Carlow beat & W'mth drew with in league) are!

As i have said on another thread here, why can't they have a round-robin series of games in May between Laois, Antrim, Carlow & Westmeath. Each team gets 3 games against teams at their own level. And group winner gets to play v Dublin, Offaly or Wexford in Leinster qf.

What good is Carlow v Wicklow going to do on saturday, Carlow will win so easily. Then in leinster Galway v Laois is such a mismatch too.

3 games each for these teams and whoever is good enough to come out of it, will be a confident decent team ready to face a so called stronger side.
Does that make too much sense to ever be considered??

[stevecw]

What way is this competition being run this year? Groups or knock out or something else?

Its neither groups or knock out. All a bit complicated really, but here you go! Good luck   

http://www.gaa.ie/page/christy_ringnicky_rackardlory_meagher.html

[nrico2006]

As i have said on another thread here, why can't they have a round-robin series of games in May between Laois, Antrim, Carlow & Westmeath. Each team gets 3 games against teams at their own level. And group winner gets to play v Dublin, Offaly or Wexford in Leinster qf

There is a good argument for a round robin, but again in your example why should Dublin, Offaly or Wexford sit above the temas you mentioned in the round robin - Laois, Antrim , Carlow and Westmeath are all in the same division as Wexford and Offaly, and Dublin have been at Antrim and Laois' level for the past number of years.  Is there no argument to even include Meath and Wicklow in there too? 

[Gnevin]

As i have said on another thread here, why can't they have a round-robin series of games in May between Laois, Antrim, Carlow & Westmeath. Each team gets 3 games against teams at their own level. And group winner gets to play v Dublin, Offaly or Wexford in Leinster qf

There is a good argument for a round robin, but again in your example why should Dublin, Offaly or Wexford sit above the temas you mentioned in the round robin - Laois, Antrim , Carlow and Westmeath are all in the same division as Wexford and Offaly, and Dublin have been at Antrim and Laois' level for the past number of years.  Is there no argument to even include Meath and Wicklow in there too? 

We should give everyone a chance.

[slow corner back]

What way is this competition being run this year? Groups or knock out or something else?

Its neither groups or knock out. All a bit complicated really, but here you go! Good luck   

http://www.gaa.ie/page/christy_ringnicky_rackardlory_meagher.html

I dont know if it is too early for me or what but that is very hard to follow. I did note in it that there is a promotion relegation play off again this year as you said earlier, bit of a joke glad automatic promotion relegation is being brought in next year.
As for this weekend if Down are as lazy/disorganised as Johnny C is saying I would not be surprised if Derry surprised them they are coming off back to back Ulster U-21 titles beating a decent ( on paper) Antrim team along the way. Is there promtion between the Rackard and the Ring competitions?

[orangeman]

What way is this competition being run this year? Groups or knock out or something else?

Its neither groups or knock out. All a bit complicated really, but here you go! Good luck   

http://www.gaa.ie/page/christy_ringnicky_rackardlory_meagher.html

I dont know if it is too early for me or what but that is very hard to follow. I did note in it that there is a promotion relegation play off again this year as you said earlier, bit of a joke glad automatic promotion relegation is being brought in next year.
As for this weekend if Down are as lazy/disorganised as Johnny C is saying I would not be surprised if Derry surprised them they are coming off back to back Ulster U-21 titles beating a decent ( on paper) Antrim team along the way. Is there promtion between the Rackard and the Ring competitions?

Reading today's IN Down were not able to field against Limerick in a challenge last weekend in Ballycastle - what's going on there