Hurling 2026

[seafoid]

I see Ben O'Connor wanting more physicality in hurling and even the odd melee..

I'd not necessarily disagree with that, but sometimes I'd be careful for what you wish for as I'm sure the likes of Limerick and Clare who have the size and physicality to work with Cork would maybe enjoy a bit more leeway from referees and make a Cork team with questions over their hardness pay for it.

That's not condoning Mark Colemans downward strike to the Galway lads helmet, not within an asses roar of a ball.

That's a red all day long.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2026/01/31/cork-edge-out-galway-in-rip-roaring-encounter-in-salthill/
We're gone like soccer, aren't we? Black cards, red cards, yellow cards, technical areas. We are following that game. Look, that is the fellas above trying to cleanse hurling. That is what they are trying to do if you want to be fair about it.
"They don't want any dust-up, they don't want any bit of blood spilt, they don't want a hurley broke, they want to make it a nice game for my little Johnny at home. Genuine hurling people don't want that. They want a good, hard physical game.


"No one is hurt when it is played that way. There wasn't a dirty stroke pulled outside there tonight. No one got hurt. That is higher above; they are trying to take the manliness out of the game, in my opinion."

[Captain Scarlet]

Ah yes the manliness of hitting a lad's helmet from behind - not one dirty stroke in that game mind...
Or the manliness of the constant belts on the hands of lads with the sliotar in hand.

The game now has much less 50/ 50 contests and the short passes reduce the fair hits that we all want to see. But the sneaky hits keep coming.