Antrim Hurling

[CitySlicker11]

End of season review for Belfast hurling teams.

St Galls had the best season of all the Belfast teams, getting to the county final and securing Division one hurling status.  St Johns seemed to have a good start to the season with some decent results but then fell away before championship. How many would St Johns have on the county squad (u21)? I feel not having access to a full squad hinders them greatly.

Unfortunately Sarsfields were relegated after being back up in Division one, however, making a county semi final shows overall that there was progress made, and promotion from division 2 next year is a must to keep their momentum going. Rossa done all that was expected of them this season and not much more, but they have a great chance of doing well in the Intermediate All Ireland.

Gort Na Mona and St Pauls both secured their places in division two and over the next few years need to rebuild their underage teams, move up the league in Division two and then look towards promotion.

Lamh Dhearg just missed out on promotion from division three and took a heavy beating in the championship, this would be classed as a poor year and they need to work on getting their strongest team out on the pitch as much as possible to make it back to division two. St Teresas have some potential but had a great year in the football and this must have effected their hurling fortunes.

[Bonamargy]

I just read through all the motions for convention on the county website. 2 separate motions, one by CCC and one by Ruairi Óg asking to revert back to 8 team leagues. CCC want 8 teams in all 4 divisions and have it in place at the end of 2015 season, (doesn't say how they are going to do this???) Ruairi Óg motion has 2 teams relegated from div 1 and only 1 team promoted from div 2 for the next two seasons, which would mean a 8 team league would be achieved by the start of 2017 season and then have two up/two down from there.

[btdtgtt]

While it is quite funny that Cushendall change their minds like underwear on how they want the leagues played (we were led to believe it's  loughgiel who think they run the place!) but the reality is that the leagues will continue to be structured however the big North antrim teams so desire.
They don't care how this affects other teams or lower leagues or the county as a whole - I suppose why should they do anything other than look after themselves?!
Their choice of structure will be passed via their own voting bloc and those if clubs who don't care enough to disagree.

Is this this biggest issue - not by a long shot!

Personally the structures choices on offer don't bother me so much. I've said before leagues should effect championship seeding to enhance the integrity of bith competitions tho!

Whatever the structure is - the problems as always been, and will remain - the availability of players.
Allow clubs to have their full compliment - all the time & without question - and watch as our leagues garner more interest.
I really wish all these structural motions were replaced by one with this aim.

But then clubs are just an inconvenience - it's all about the 1% that play county.

We might even see an upturn for the county side - but it sure won't do them any harm.

[Hurler24]

Tbh I though the main problem with the league this year stemmed from the championship draws. If the four big teams had not been meeting in championship in the first round I think we would have seen a much better top section of the league. Due to them knowing they were meeting in the first round no team really went for it thus I feel league lost the competitiveness and then as a result championship was dead as league games werent up to the usual tempo. Seeded championship draw and current league format is the way forward I think

[Milltown Row2]

Tbh I though the main problem with the league this year stemmed from the championship draws. If the four big teams had not been meeting in championship in the first round I think we would have seen a much better top section of the league. Due to them knowing they were meeting in the first round no team really went for it thus I feel league lost the competitiveness and then as a result championship was dead as league games werent up to the usual tempo. Seeded championship draw and current league format is the way forward I think

TBH you're full of shit...... Cant just keep changing the leagues cause it doesn't suit the big boys or because championship didn't turn out like it should, pure bullshit. Teams/players/management shouldn't go out and play that way (don't think they did) cause the draw was bad. Loughgiel walked the past 4 championships and not one complaint big two not in final, we have ones complaining! The football leagues have stayed the same for past twenty years and no complaints. Difference between top two teams and rest  would be greater than the hurling teams.

Let it go as it is, teams should be playing their level best in every game

[Last Man]

Tbh I though the main problem with the league this year stemmed from the championship draws. If the four big teams had not been meeting in championship in the first round I think we would have seen a much better top section of the league. Due to them knowing they were meeting in the first round no team really went for it thus I feel league lost the competitiveness and then as a result championship was dead as league games werent up to the usual tempo. Seeded championship draw and current league format is the way forward I think

TBH you're full of shit...... Cant just keep changing the leagues cause it doesn't suit the big boys or because championship didn't turn out like it should, pure bullshit. Teams/players/management shouldn't go out and play that way (don't think they did) cause the draw was bad. Loughgiel walked the past 4 championships and not one complaint big two not in final, we have ones complaining! The football leagues have stayed the same for past twenty years and no complaints. Difference between top two teams and rest  would be greater than the hurling teams.

Let it go as it is, teams should be playing their level best in every game

Totally agree, this constant tinkering is tiresome.

[Megaman]

of course someone goes against your thinking MR2 and they are full of shit 

as most have agreed this years championship was pretty poor and whether you like it or not i believe the simple reason was due to the lop-sided draw.

The leagues need to be put back to the normal 2 up 2 down, whether this is 8 / 10 / 12 teams is open to debate. But more importantly they have to be played with the county players, spectators want to watch the best players, kids want to watch the best players, not reserve matches.

IMHO this is the biggest obstacle to our leagues, the sooner it is rectified the better. It was started 20 odd years ago and was a large reason why the leagues got less competitive and spectator numbers got worse.

[cfclg]

Tbh I though the main problem with the league this year stemmed from the championship draws. If the four big teams had not been meeting in championship in the first round I think we would have seen a much better top section of the league. Due to them knowing they were meeting in the first round no team really went for it thus I feel league lost the competitiveness and then as a result championship was dead as league games werent up to the usual tempo. Seeded championship draw and current league format is the way forward I think

TBH you're full of shit...... Cant just keep changing the leagues cause it doesn't suit the big boys or because championship didn't turn out like it should, pure bullshit. Teams/players/management shouldn't go out and play that way (don't think they did) cause the draw was bad. Loughgiel walked the past 4 championships and not one complaint big two not in final, we have ones complaining! The football leagues have stayed the same for past twenty years and no complaints. Difference between top two teams and rest  would be greater than the hurling teams.

Let it go as it is, teams should be playing their level best in every game

Couldn't agree more with this. Enough playing around with these every year.

Could someone put in a motion that there be no changes to hurling leagues for next 10 years and then we'll maybe review them!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

the league was grand the way it was. all this tinkering and changing of it serves no purpose.

cushendall have changed the format of it so many times over the past number of years and its ended up being scraped one year later. im not picking on them as a club but seriously stop coming up with these daft ideas.

leave the leagues as they are. 10 teams, 2 way league, reserve games played the same day. 2 up, 2 down.

championship is a knock out, no seeding. its pure luck who you draw and thats the best way.

[Milltown Row2]

of course someone goes against your thinking MR2 and they are full of shit 

as most have agreed this years championship was pretty poor and whether you like it or not i believe the simple reason was due to the lop-sided draw.

The leagues need to be put back to the normal 2 up 2 down, whether this is 8 / 10 / 12 teams is open to debate. But more importantly they have to be played with the county players, spectators want to watch the best players, kids want to watch the best players, not reserve matches.

IMHO this is the biggest obstacle to our leagues, the sooner it is rectified the better. It was started 20 odd years ago and was a large reason why the leagues got less competitive and spectator numbers got worse.

I'm only, like you, giving my view on it. Put a poll up and get an opinion from the rest. Your main reasons seem to be a once in a lifetime championship draw and the county (which has done it for years in football and hurling) taking the county players.

[btdtgtt]

of course someone goes against your thinking MR2 and they are full of shit 

as most have agreed this years championship was pretty poor and whether you like it or not i believe the simple reason was due to the lop-sided draw.

The leagues need to be put back to the normal 2 up 2 down, whether this is 8 / 10 / 12 teams is open to debate. But more importantly they have to be played with the county players, spectators want to watch the best players, kids want to watch the best players, not reserve matches.

IMHO this is the biggest obstacle to our leagues, the sooner it is rectified the better. It was started 20 odd years ago and was a large reason why the leagues got less competitive and spectator numbers got worse.

I'm only, like you, giving my view on it. Put a poll up and get an opinion from the rest. Your main reasons seem to be a once in a lifetime championship draw and the county (which has done it for years in football and hurling) taking the county players.

I know what you mean - but they are not the county's players - glad everyone seems agreed that the practice of clubs being denied access to their own players is the main focus.
As I say, allowing a full club calendar will not harm our county side, it will improve it if anything.
And regarless f the structure - it will imporve our club hurling in every way.
Rising tide lifts all boats.
I personally favour the top 2 / 4 in the league being seeded (mainly to make the league more important) but fully understand the lure of the open draw.

[Two Hands FFS]

the league was grand the way it was. all this tinkering and changing of it serves no purpose.

cushendall have changed the format of it so many times over the past number of years and its ended up being scraped one year later. im not picking on them as a club but seriously stop coming up with these daft ideas.

leave the leagues as they are. 10 teams, 2 way league, reserve games played the same day. 2 up, 2 down.

championship is a knock out, no seeding. its pure luck who you draw and thats the best way.

It was the county who changed it to a 10 team league. Have you difficulty in understanding this?

[Bonamargy]

the league was grand the way it was. all this tinkering and changing of it serves no purpose.

cushendall have changed the format of it so many times over the past number of years and its ended up being scraped one year later. im not picking on them as a club but seriously stop coming up with these daft ideas.

leave the leagues as they are. 10 teams, 2 way league, reserve games played the same day. 2 up, 2 down.

championship is a knock out, no seeding. its pure luck who you draw and thats the best way.

It was the county who changed it to a 10 team league. Have you difficulty in understanding this?

The county changed it to a 10 team league two years ago at convention and the league and championship worked fine that year did it not? At last years convention Cushendall proposed the new halfway split format which was adopted for this seasons league. It worked well for the bottom half of the split which had competitive and meaningful games. The matches in the top half split were a non event. Stick to 10 teams and a two way league in my opinion

[Two Hands FFS]

the league was grand the way it was. all this tinkering and changing of it serves no purpose.

cushendall have changed the format of it so many times over the past number of years and its ended up being scraped one year later. im not picking on them as a club but seriously stop coming up with these daft ideas.

leave the leagues as they are. 10 teams, 2 way league, reserve games played the same day. 2 up, 2 down.

championship is a knock out, no seeding. its pure luck who you draw and thats the best way.

It was the county who changed it to a 10 team league. Have you difficulty in understanding this?

The county changed it to a 10 team league two years ago at convention and the league and championship worked fine that year did it not? At last years convention Cushendall proposed the new halfway split format which was adopted for this seasons league. It worked well for the bottom half of the split which had competitive and meaningful games. The matches in the top half split were a non event. Stick to 10 teams and a two way league in my opinion

The problem with 10 teams is getting 18 matches played with the round robin format. That is why C'Dall proposed the split..not through choice. Cos they knew it would near impossible to get the games played.

[johnneycool]

Right,
Dunloy aren't happy as they'd a few scary moments minus shorty to get them into the top half, the Dall suffered similarly as IIRC Sarsfields beat them, Ballycran played most games full strength although a good few of their team probably played a game the day before in the CR or whatever. Loughgeil or Ballycastle we don't know about.

The bottom half was competitive right through to the end with teams taking points off each other and there was no certainties. We took a few tankings against the top teams, but by and large we were competitive with those around us and whilst we got relegated it was a good learning curve for our novices. I'd say Galls, Ports and Johnnies would have been happy with the format, just looking to push on a bit more next year to get into the top 5.

IMO I wouldn't be running out to change the league as no matter what format you bring in the top teams do enough to keep them safe and then do what they need to do to prepare for the championship. 8 teams both way, 10 teams both way, 20 teams one way isn't going to change that.