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Looking at the final round:

Dublin v Kilkenny is the game.  KK could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th.  I believe we can assume Galway will regain its focus and win.  Also Offaly will get to 6 pts.  I believe that if KK draw then Offaly must win by 30 pts!  That's not going to happen.

Conclusion: KK win(KK-Galway final) KK draw(Galway-Dublin final) KK lose(Offaly 3rd, KK out!).  Going back to the format change in the 1990s, has Kilkenny ever NOT qualified for the AI competition?

Regarding Munster: There's the possibility of all 3 finishing 3-1.  If that happens then Clare must win by 4pts to knock Cork out of the Munster final.  It's interesting that a year ago Cork were rampaging thru Munster, scoring tons of goals against everyone except Limerick.  This year they've won 3 games but their point difference is only +10.  It appears 2026 defences have come to grips with Cork goal scoring blitzkriegs.

Fitzgibbons is a huge loss.  Cork's best player.

To be fair to Tipp yesterday, even with Clare's early 2nd half goal, the game was still there for the home side.  Had they gotten a goal, denied by a great Quilligan save, it could have been quite different.  Then they lost a man and basically gave up.

Was it just me or was the intensity in the Munster game on a much higher level than Galway v Dublin?

Another question: if Kilkenny and Galway win their final games, meaning KK and Dublin finish on 7 pts, does Kilkenny go to the final because of the head to head win or is the tie broken by overall point difference?

Good win for the Dubs there.
I like them when go direct to big Hetherington and with the bigger Hayes along side him, they're a handful

I thought it was the wrong strategy today.  They should have been playing the ball short, taking advantage of the wind and grabbing their points.  Most of the long balls ended up surrendering possession to Galway.  Dublin was fortunate to get the win in the end.

Hetherington is a nice option but only if he's targeted occasionally.  He's easier to defend if practically every ball is sent to him.

Seven minutes into extra time I thought Roscommon were in great shape.  They had the momentum of their 2nd half comeback. they only trailed a point and would have the wind for the final 10 minutes.  Then Kerry got two quick points right before the break.  That seemed to shift momentum. Then the first Kerry goal...

Word down here is final will be Friday 29th or Saturday 30th now. Better than jamming it in midweek at least which would be extremely unfair on players, management and families especially but also supporters.

Semi finals and finals of this competition should be on weekends, I would've thought that was obvious and fair but of course the GAA have their own agenda of pushing for U19 to be the Grade after Minor so no suprise they'd treat the competition poorly.

Anyway, another Kerry v Tyrone final. Kerry have some good players but a few bad injuries unfortunately at the wrong time. Killian Dennehy is a huge loss. But just have to drive on.

Why on earth you'd bring in u19 unless you're also bringing back u21 I have no idea. It's already a massive step for u20's to a senior team never mind reducing it again.

A foreign perspective: U20 does seem young.  In Canada Junior hockey is U21.  Junior lacrosse U22.  The US NCAA system basically translates to U22.

Top teams in Munster are Cork and Limerick - full stop. I think Galway would be up to any of the rest of them. They could even be dark horses against the other two, but something tells me they'd disappoint.

I don't see how anyone could be disappointed in Galway losing to Cork/Limerick.  They'd be expected to lose...therefore they can only surprise.

We should not drop last year's QF down the memory hole so quickly.  15 man Limerick being beaten by 14 man Dublin.  The past two years Limerick have had their moments in which they are a "no show".  Galway - or others - need only catch them on such a day and an upset is possible.

Granted we all recognize this is a more focused Limerick in 2026.  The expectation is for them to win it all.  Nevertheless they do have injuries and a veteran club which should be expected to be injury prone.

Also don't forget Cork's 2nd half AI Final performance.  I would not advise anyone to bet the house on a guaranteed Cork win over Galway.  Cork has the most talent and a fragile disposition.  Great support, huge pressure and a 2 decade AI drought.  Tempting to bet on the wheels coming off when least expected.

I do share the KK fatigue.  That county never stops winning!  They look to be having an off year(will we see King Henry as their next manager in the near future?).  However the Black Cats have nine lives.  I wouldn't expect it but would not be shocked if they retain top honours in Leinster.  They've such a psychological advantage over the other counties.  Regarding their imminent demise, the posters doth protest too loudly.

Which brings me back to what would be a disappointment for Galway this year: NOT winning Leinster.  Accomplish that and everything else in 2026 is a bonus and builds towards greater successes in the years to come.

Am I the only one that's in any way neutral about this? When I was younger there wasn't a chance all these games would be available to watch. Now you are able to watch every single game from first round provincial the whole way up to the All Ireland final. 40 plus games and games from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and the 2010s available to watch as well as all the hurling games that come with it. Maybe I'm in the minority but I think that isn't a bad deal at all

Correct there's lots of positives to enjoy as we reflect on this current "problem".

I wouldn't boast too loudly about all the old games available.  GAA+ selection is dwarfed by what gaelic games are available on YouTube.  Some time ago the USGA app offered EVERY final round of US Opens going back to the 1960s.  Meanwhile every Masters final round is currently available on YouTube.

If golf can offer such extensive historical coverage to its fans then why can't other sports - like GAA - do the same?

Is the TV licence not a paywall?

Good point!

None of these options are "free".  I grew up with the rabbit ears on the tv set and the antenna over the house.  That was free television.  You bought the tv set and the 12 channels you picked up on it came at no additional cost.  Then Cable arrived in the 1980s.

Modern technology means more options and a cost comes with it.  People are still free to choose to use it of pass on it.

That said, I'm not impressed if RTE contracted for games in good faith and are only being offered the "bottom of the barrel".  That does not reflect well on the ethical values of the people making this decision.

Frankly I'm surprised.  If I was RTE negotiating with the GAA to broadcast their games to a wider audience, any deal I signed would have included the provision that RTE will choose which games they'll show.

GAA is rare in that it runs off its main competition in so few games. Of the 16 Sam Maguire teams they'll average about 4-5 outings each, with the finalists getting 7-9 . Compare that with Soccer leagues (30-40), NFL (17 minimum), NBA (82 min) etc.

People will mention the national league, but until something radical changes either in structure or GAA psyche, the league will remain little more than a warm-up competition.

Personally id love if the championship season was much bigger and longer. I'll concede though that attendances were relatively poor for those group stage games, so perhaps that isn't the popular public view. What they've come up with is a decent compromise imo

I'll never understand anyone wanting a return to straight knockout, or anything close to it.
1) You're asking your counties players to train for 9 months, for what may be one solitary outing.
2) How can you dislike top level football enough to potentially watch your team play 1 game of football all summer, all in the name of "jeopardy"?

Fcuk jeopardy. The more football the better

In those other sport leagues you are talking about club teams and seasons lasting up to 10 months!  The county teams are all-star teams, like World Cup soccer teams.  How many games will a team play at the WC this summer(if it's held)?  Yes I know, for Iran, it will be zero.

A good point was made that something had to be done about hurling in the 1990s.  It's also true that the original system gave Kerry a soft route to the AI football Semi Final.

With the inter-county championship being the "Jewel in the GAA Crown", one and out for so many counties was too abrupt.  I thought the back door system was a good compromise.  Gave teams a second chance.  Plus with no extra time and no shootouts, counties could get Replayed games - Dublin v Meath '91 the most famous example.

Lots of suggestions here.  Plenty of ideas with some merit.  I'm sure everyone has their opinion on what system they prefer.  In other words, the moment you change the original format, you step on a slippery slope.

When they changed to the back door system, the deal should have been: this is it!  If we don't stick with it then we go back to the four provincial champs in the Semi Finals.

At what point do endless changes destroy GAA credibility?

Let me see if I have this straight:

8 games, with the 8 winners and losers pairing off.  The 4 teams that win a second time get a bye to the Quarter final.  The 4 teams which lose twice are out.  The 8 teams which split their games playoff with four advancing to the QF.

Essentially, when the 8 initial winners meet it's the same as the provincial finals under the old system - the winners going straight to the QF, the losers getting a second chance.

Aren't these additional 20 games redundant?  Why not return to the Back Door system?  One benefit: there would be time to replay drawn games and no championship games would be decided by a shootout.  You know, choose competition integrity over cheap entertainment.

I suppose going back to the old system, the GAA would be seen as having made a mistake changing the system in the first place.  We all know bureaucrats never admit when they're wrong.

I shouldn't complain.  After all its the GAA.  Don't like the system or the rules, just be patient, wait a few years and they'll change again.

When I began watching 15 years ago I thought the unique system and amateur status of the players set the GAA above all other sporting competitions.  Unfortunately the former could not be counted on to last.

Reminds me of my younger days, when I'd take a deck of cards or dice and, with my imagination, create my own sports league.  After a few seasons I'd get bored with the format and change things up.

The difference is that I was a little kid.  What's the GAA's excuse?

What surprised me about the Limerick game was the latter stages, when the contest was decided.  With all the yellow cards piling up, I believe they left those players on the field.  The English second yellow(and suspension?) could easily have been avoided.

No suspension for a second yellow.

Would only be suspension if he had previous in the competition, I think

Cheers for the clarification.

Byrnes didn't get a yellow as the ref didn't think it was a free.

In real time and from the angle the ref was at, probably a bit unclear, but yes, I thought it was more chest than shoulder to shoulder.

There were a lot of loose hurls in the tackling, not sure if they were near a ball though and I'm no purist, for me a hurl should only be swung,flicked at a ball, but now it's just in the general direction, hitting arms, hands and anything in between.

Correct.  It was not ruled a foul.

To be fair to the referee, in real time it looked like shoulder to shoulder.  As a fan, I prefer to see officials keep their whistles in their pocket unless there is "without any doubt" a clear foul.

Maybe it's my old eyes but I'm constantly amazed by how often referees get the calls right.

What surprised me about the Limerick game was the latter stages, when the contest was decided.  With all the yellow cards piling up, I believe they left those players on the field.  The English second yellow(and suspension?) could easily have been avoided.

I also thought Nash should have been black carded.  Doesn't a black card count as a yellow - second in his case.

[My fix would have been that the ball cant go back to your own half -]

Why any free worth 2 points, when a goal only worth 3.

It's ridiculous, that and the hooter are the two changes which have not improved the game at all. And before anyone starts rolling out the mantra that teams would be lining up to foul outside the arc, no they wouldn't - the mathematics would dictate that if you're close enough to foul, you'd better to let the player shoot as the under pressure 2-pt shot yields a lower expected value than a 1pt free from the same place.

My pet hate last year was teams running down the clock from 3 or 4 minutes out waiting for the hooter and then kicking the ball dead. My fix would have been that the ball cant go back to your own half - that would close the space down and force the team with the ball to do something. I still think that would work.

On the 2 point itself maybe change it to just from play

Yes I agree

Donegal wouldn't have  kept ball for those 2 or 3 minutes in  last year's Ulster final if they  couldn't go back into their own half.

That rule would have  seen more turnover , and I believe  teams automatically would have  left  one (or two) speedy forwards in the opposition half  (and the  opposition would do likewise with a defender back)  to get a headstart to goal  when  a turnover happened. Imagine the likes of Oisin Conaty, Kobe McDonald, Darragh Canavan in a mile of space  after a turnover. The game would have evolved into  a better spectacle

That simple rule  was all that was needed.

Simple?  What bureaucracy does simple any more?  How could the FRC secure its legacy for having saved the game if they just did simple?  It will be ironic if, novelty of the new rules wears thin, the FRC are viewed as having ruined the game.

Some hated the game as it stood in 2024, however the game reached that point by natural evolution.  No governing body forced teams to play that way - like they're forcing everyone to play the new rules.

All sports see their game evolve.  They deal with this evolution by tweeking the rules, not completely overhauling the entire game.  If only they'd added the tap and go rule for 2025 then seen how much it alone improved the game.  That was a missed opportunity.

The last time I saw this many 2 pointers the Harlem Globetrotters were playing.  I'm going to be counting 2 pointers in my sleep tonight!

Remarkable that Monaghan could stink the joint out for 55 minutes then steal a championship win.  We sure got to see the new rules in all their "glory" today.  I'm wondering how long we'll have to wait to see a team score 40 points and lose.

Then there is the Dublin "keep ball" alternative.  I did warn that the new rules would lead to 1) offences revolving around 2 pointers and 2) teams working the clock.

Last week we saw a Jim McGuinness defence shredded.  Do we conclude that the only way to defend 3v3 is to deny the opposition possession?

Quite a Saturday.  In Leinster, a cure for insomnia.  In Ulster, a 3 ring circus.