Hurling 2026

[gallsman]

I turned over after about 15 mins and realistically could have done so 10 mins earlier.

[marty34]

Offaly playing like Dublin last year.

[Silkyskillssunshinee]

The Limerick v Cork final will need to be an all-timer to somewhat save the 2026 hurling championship. Both should have too much for Clare & Galway in the semi's.

[Aaron Boone]

Less teams realistically can win it as the decades roll on. Waterford and Wexford the latest two to be edging off the top tier. Kilkenny with their worst year in a lifetime.

[SaffronSports]

Not enough meaningful matches. There was one less win or go home football match this weekend than the entire hurling championship. 2 qf, 2 sf and final.

Go 12 team AI. start with 8 teams the weekend of the provincial finals, the 4 winners go into qf and play the 4 provincial finalists, then 2 sf and final. 5 meaningful matches becomes 11.

[imtommygunn]

Big blow for Offaly that. Cork and limerick just miles ahead of the rest.

[johnnycool]

The truth needs told, it's been a poor year for hurling and at this point in time we're relying on Galway showing up and giving Cork a game, but we are all but certain of the last part of the championship trilogy of Cork V Limerick.

They must be sick of the sight of each other.

The tinternet experts have all the solutions. Leinster is so poor because of Galway and Antrim being foisted upon them, yep, that is one reason. 
Another is that in Munster the underage teams play each other in one round robin group but in Leinster they've two groups, diluting the strength with more weaker games. There may be merit in that one, but with Munster wiping the board with all and sundry hurling wise (barring St Kierans in colleges hurling) there has to be more to it.

I know things are cyclic, as we'd Kilkenny dominating hurling for the better part of a decade, then Limerick have come along and they may be coming to the end of their cycle but it's hard to see any of the Leinster counties bridge that gap, and I'm not considering Galway in that.

Where are Wexford, what's going on there? Have Offaly any other underage teams to supplement the one good crop they've had in decades? Dublin underage?
As I've said before Kilkenny will uproot absolutely every thought and process they have until they get back, a county not afraid to tear up the plan to come up with a new one, they'll be very restless this autumn and winter and there will be changes made but it won't bear fruit for a while. Mr Tommy Walsh is with the minors I see. Early appointment and he'll be one lad who speaks, they'll all listen.

Offaly getting a fair bit of stick in relation to the build of their players in comparison to their Cork counterparts of a same age.
And they do look a good bit lighter. Screeny is very light and his build hasn't changed since he came onto the scene as a minor and that is something he'll need to address himself if he wants to kick on. Supremely talented but that won't be enough in the modern game.
He'll never be a man mountain, but he does need a bit more power about himself.


As for the rest of us, sure who gives two shiny shítes?

[didlyi]

No disrespect to Offaly but they setup with 15 on 15 which for me is fine but some of the old basics like mark up your man was more the problem that not playing a sweeper. A lot of weaker teams are copying nonsense tactics from top teams and forgetting about the basics of the game. Dublin similar on Saturday. I just cant understand tactics that allow Cork and Clare players in acres of space all over the field. Mark your man and win your own ball comes first.

[marty34]

There is no better game in the world than hurling...says Jarlath.


But the GAA has failed it for over 100 years...says me.



https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2026/0622/1579632-gaa-president-believes-hurling-could-take-20-years-to-fix/

[didlyi]

Hurling has ben in dark places before. 1992 when ulster football was thriving there was 8k at Clare v Waterford in a knock out MHC game. The allireland semis that year had a joint attendance of < 32k. 3 years later and hurling was in the midst of its golden era.

[Joeythelips]

No disrespect to Offaly but they setup with 15 on 15 which for me is fine but some of the old basics like mark up your man was more the problem that not playing a sweeper. A lot of weaker teams are copying nonsense tactics from top teams and forgetting about the basics of the game. Dublin similar on Saturday. I just cant understand tactics that allow Cork and Clare players in acres of space all over the field. Mark your man and win your own ball comes first.

It's all well and good saying go mark your man but if he is a superior athlete and stronger than you then you and your team are in trouble, this was clearly the case for the Offaly defenders assigned to mark Walsh and Hayes who did what they liked. Going 15 v 15 in that instance is crazy.

People whining about the state of hurling surely can see these things come in cycles, we should be thanking our lucky stars that we have a team like Cork who can put it up to this great Limerick side of the entire championship would be a foregone conclusion.

[imtommygunn]

Cork and limerick just miles ahead. Hurling in no worse a state than ever. People just panic when the likes of Kilkenny drop off but they'll be back.

[marty34]

Tipp up by 1pt in Minor Final.

5 mins left. A lot of wides.

But regardless of outcome, James Woodlock has done job with Tipp minors this past three years or so.

[marty34]

Limerick win by 1pt.

Great last 5 mins plus injury time.

[Armagh18]

Why are the hurling lads not doing any media stuff this week?

Any chance of Clare/Galway giving us something worth watching this weekend?