Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

Loughgiel are deserved favourites - I don't see anyone other than loughgiel men claiming any different! It would be a shock if they don't win it - but shocks are what happen in championship! Altho given the current internals there's no chance of that shock coming from corrigan!

I think sometimes we under estimate how great a county championship we have.

After this years draw I would not be surprised if there was a move to seed the draw - this is not something I would necesssarily disagree with. Not in terms of the championship but because it would make league positions more meaningful.

On the same subject - this does already have an influence on championship grade. Maybe Galls & definitely The paddies might have looked at intermediate championship this year - but they are dictated into senior by being in division 1. (Clooney & cloughmills recent winners of intermediate so playing senior).
It's is this that opens up the possibility of Rossa & glenarrife playing intermediate - the fact they are in division 2. It's always a shock when a formerly big club drop down a level.
I'm not winding up HS but rossa's results over the past number of years would indicate intermediate is logical. Their current teamsheet bares little resemblance to the players who made them competitive. In cork na piarsaigh face possible drop to intermediate - and this has happened "big" teams in ither counties - so why would it be any different here?

Great to finally see the prospect of some sustained and competitive club hurling. We can also judge the division1 split over time. For me the big question is towards ballycastle and if they are going to step up or continue to promise in league but fail to deliver in championship. Will an up/down Dunloy time their season for championship?

[Milltown Row2]

Open draw ya wally, this is the first time that the draw has dropped like this, Loughiel, and they won't lie have been in the easier side of the draw for past few seasons, there are not easy sides of draws for the teams that are in the championship. Any team in 'our' side of the draw will think they have a chance of getting to the final. Any team in the other draw will like to fancy their chances of getting to the final. Meaning each game this year will be a tight affair with a few points either way. No team will be able to take it easy in any of their games.

Will this mean an easier final for the winners of the big group? Maybe, but no more easier than last years final I'd imagine

[themac_23]

Loughgiel are deserved favourites - I don't see anyone other than loughgiel men claiming any different! It would be a shock if they don't win it - but shocks are what happen in championship! Altho given the current internals there's no chance of that shock coming from corrigan!

I think sometimes we under estimate how great a county championship we have.

After this years draw I would not be surprised if there was a move to seed the draw - this is not something I would necesssarily disagree with. Not in terms of the championship but because it would make league positions more meaningful.

On the same subject - this does already have an influence on championship grade. Maybe Galls & definitely The paddies might have looked at intermediate championship this year - but they are dictated into senior by being in division 1. (Clooney & cloughmills recent winners of intermediate so playing senior).
It's is this that opens up the possibility of Rossa & glenarrife playing intermediate - the fact they are in division 2. It's always a shock when a formerly big club drop down a level.
I'm not winding up HS but rossa's results over the past number of years would indicate intermediate is logical. Their current teamsheet bares little resemblance to the players who made them competitive. In cork na piarsaigh face possible drop to intermediate - and this has happened "big" teams in ither counties - so why would it be any different here?

Great to finally see the prospect of some sustained and competitive club hurling. We can also judge the division1 split over time. For me the big question is towards ballycastle and if they are going to step up or continue to promise in league but fail to deliver in championship. Will an up/down Dunloy time their season for championship?

To be honest i think the best way to sort out who plays what championship is by league, the only spanner in the works are the down teams but i would say we could work around that handy enough.

Div 1 senior, Div 2 intermediate, Div 3 Junior and Div 4 Junior B. 2 up and 2 down from each every year, the league winners and championship winner, if this is the same team then 2nd in the league play championship runners up for the next place. if a team who wins championship is in the bottom 2 then the next team goes down. make things alot more interesting. Personally would do the same in football. Would take away the clubs option of picking what they want to play.

[btdtgtt]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

[Milltown Row2]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

That draw won't happen again if they run it a hundred times. It just fell that way, generally you will get one big team in both sides of the draw, it won't be a problem (for the big teams) next year. No panic yet

[NAG1]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

If these pesky Belfast clubs would stop worrying about the NA teams and get up to the required standard (minus the chip on the shoulder) then there would be no need for even discussing seeding.

[btdtgtt]

I thought championship was already sorted like that anyway except you can "play up" if you like, which is fair enough.

Yes that more or less correct.
But also then teams which won intermediate in the preceding year - so play senior. (Cloughmills)

Some teams will also opt for senior because there is a period of time in which they cannot re-enter ulster intermediate if they won it before? (Clooney?)

[themac_23]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

Was more arguing the fact that it isnt based on league at the min, there are clubs playing senior who are in div 2 (which Rossa are top of) as i said, i wasnt getting at rossa just thought they should play senior. As it is at the min senior is basically div 1 & top div 2 sides, intermediate is rest of div 2 and top div 3 sides with junior the rest of div 3.

Rossa play St Enda's in 1st round of IHC team top of div 2 against a mid table div 3 team, can you tell me these 2 teams are more evenly matched than Rossa and Johnnies/ Galls/ Sars/ Clooney/ C'Mills?

As i say, i've no gripe with Rossa doing it, quite within their right to do so, I just think there has to be a better way to structure our championships.

[Milltown Row2]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

If these pesky Belfast clubs would stop worrying about the NA teams and get up to the required standard (minus the chip on the shoulder) then there would be no need for even discussing seeding.

Leave us chip eaters alone

[Seamroga in exile]

Loughgiel had the easier side of the draw mr2?  I'm nearly sure we beat Dunloy and cushendall in the same year in two of our current championship runs.  Hardly easy.

[clootfromthe21]

MR2 - I understand why people favour the open draw but what these pesky Belfast teams argue doesn't matter. If the big NA teams want seeding then it will happen.

The mac - you started by arguing Rossa should not be in intermediate and finish by saying that division 2 should form intermediate championship!

Was more arguing the fact that it isnt based on league at the min, there are clubs playing senior who are in div 2 (which Rossa are top of) as i said, i wasnt getting at rossa just thought they should play senior. As it is at the min senior is basically div 1 & top div 2 sides, intermediate is rest of div 2 and top div 3 sides with junior the rest of div 3.

Rossa play St Enda's in 1st round of IHC team top of div 2 against a mid table div 3 team, can you tell me these 2 teams are more evenly matched than Rossa and Johnnies/ Galls/ Sars/ Clooney/ C'Mills?

As i say, i've no gripe with Rossa doing it, quite within their right to do so, I just think there has to be a better way to structure our championships.

To be honest, as I understand it, the present structure is as good as we are going to get.

As I understand it, Division 1 teams have to play senior while Division 2 teams have to play at least intermediate i.e. intermediate or senior.

As such, a Division 2 team like Ahoghill or Cloughmills can choose to play up (and why shouldn't they, having won the intermediate recently) while Rossa can choose to play intermediate based on their divisional status.

As regards an open draw versus seeding, the way the thing has panned out this year, a "lesser" team will get to a County final, which can only be a boost for players/supporters of those clubs rather than drawing Loughgiel in the first round and getting a hiding.

[Milltown Row2]

Loughgiel had the easier side of the draw mr2?  I'm nearly sure we beat Dunloy and cushendall in the same year in two of our current championship runs.  Hardly easy.

When was the last time you met either Cushendall or Dunloy in the first round?

[Seamroga in exile]

Loughgiel had the easier side of the draw mr2?  I'm nearly sure we beat Dunloy and cushendall in the same year in two of our current championship runs.  Hardly easy.

When was the last time you met either Cushendall or Dunloy in the first round?

we still had to beat them whenever we played them.

[Milltown Row2]

Loughgiel had the easier side of the draw mr2?  I'm nearly sure we beat Dunloy and cushendall in the same year in two of our current championship runs.  Hardly easy.

When was the last time you met either Cushendall or Dunloy in the first round?

we still had to beat them whenever we played them.

So ya can't answer? That's why I said it ffs!! Still getting easier games this year lol

[Seamroga in exile]

Loughgiel had the easier side of the draw mr2?  I'm nearly sure we beat Dunloy and cushendall in the same year in two of our current championship runs.  Hardly easy.

When was the last time you met either Cushendall or Dunloy in the first round?

we still had to beat them whenever we played them.

So ya can't answer? That's why I said it ffs!! Still getting easier games this year lol

sure we fixed it. Everybody knows that.