The future of laois hurling

[Verbal]

Lads, the 10-team option is specifically not proposed. It's either eight, as now, or the fairly convoluted 12-team set-up. Personally, I favour the status quo.

That's my understanding too.
I don't want more than 8.
But I do think this appears underhand.

Basically- Give them 2 ridiculous options to ensure they don't change from 8!

[Laois man]

Only going what I was told by a person who was at the meeting.

[Laois man]

But lads we have 16 senior football team and county board feels that's OK 6 of them won't win the intermediate Cship but10 teams in the hurling is too many.

[Downtheroad]

Offaly have 10 teams with Kilcormac/Killoughy 2nd team winning the Senior B. The same is likely to happen in Laois with 10 teams and definitely 12. Camross and Rathdowney/Errill are well capable of winning a weaker 2nd tier. A handful of clubs are pushing 10 teams to give them a safety net.   

[Laois man]

Safety net? If your not god enough you will go down

[SpeculativeEffort]

But lads we have 16 senior football team and county board feels that's OK 6 of them won't win the intermediate Cship but10 teams in the hurling is too many.

Just because we have one of the weakest, piss poor football championships, it doesn't mean we need to mess up the hurling.
8 is the right number at the moment.
Changing it now would be an embarrassment for BK.

Earn your stripes.

[Spiritof1915]

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

[Verbal]

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

I don't like this.
If a team trying to make a breakthrough beats someone more established & finishes above them, you might have to beat them again a week later.
E.g. from this year would be Castletown & Borris Kilcotton.

Has anyone ever explained what the problem was with the previous open draw style system?

[burdizzo]

If a team trying to make a breakthrough beats someone more established & finishes above them, you might have to beat them again a week later.
E.g. from this year would be Castletown & Borris Kilcotton.

Has anyone ever explained what the problem was with the previous open draw style system?

I assume the third and fourth would criss-cross with the other group, so they couldn't be playing the same team again a week later?

[Verbal]

If a team trying to make a breakthrough beats someone more established & finishes above them, you might have to beat them again a week later.
E.g. from this year would be Castletown & Borris Kilcotton.

Has anyone ever explained what the problem was with the previous open draw style system?

I assume the third and fourth would criss-cross with the other group, so they couldn't be playing the same team again a week later?

Yes, silly mistake from me.
Still,
If you finish 4th in a 4 team group, is it really a good thing to be given one last chance ?

[SpeculativeEffort]

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

Does this not virtually make the groups pointless as nobody is knocked out. Lose all 3 games and you still in it? Is a semi final (more than likely 6 weeks away) a good reward for topping group? You could be playing a team with 2 extra knock matches under their belt.

[Spiritof1915]

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

Does this not virtually make the groups pointless as nobody is knocked out. Lose all 3 games and you still in it? Is a semi final (more than likely 6 weeks away) a good reward for topping group? You could be playing a team with 2 extra knock matches under their belt.

I disagree.  If you finish in top 2,no risk of relegation and the confidence of performing well to date.
Finish 3rd or 4th, relegation or a chance to get back into the championship means hopefully do or die hurling. No dead rubbers as we've seen in last few years with
3rd round championship group games.
This structure will, in my opinion keep the championship hugely competitive from start to finish.

Did anyone really forsee B/K getting relegated this year.

i agree its a double chance for a team to avoid relegation but
If you bring in the 10 team and indeed the 12 team structure the possibility of bullshite dead rubbers increase.
Have we enough teams to support 10 and 12 at senior level and the knock effect of diluting the lower tiers.
There's no perfect solution to any championship structure.  Its an evolving process where teams come and go. I suggested a 10 team structure before, but in hindsight I think we just don't have enough teams to make it work. 

[Laois Rising]

For novelty I'd love to see the following system in place (obviously I know it will never pass in reality as a proposal).

8 senior teams play off with a first round do or die game (open draw as to who faces who). 4 teams progress to the next round with an open draw again. The two winning teams from these encounters proceed to play one another with the winner progressing to the final. The two losing teams then play off in a quarter final with the winner of that game facing the losing team of the two winning teams encounter in the semi-final.

The losing 8 teams play off in a senior B style competition as currently in use in the football championship.

What I like about this proposal is that it takes away the safety nets and the dead rubbers that the group games are currently throwing up. It also brings back cut-throat first round encounters that should add intensity and excitement to the championship. 

[Verbal]

Jaysus that would be a bit drastic!

[Smellyball]

For novelty I'd love to see the following system in place (obviously I know it will never pass in reality as a proposal).

8 senior teams play off with a first round do or die game (open draw as to who faces who). 4 teams progress to the next round with an open draw again. The two winning teams from these encounters proceed to play one another with the winner progressing to the final. The two losing teams then play off in a quarter final with the winner of that game facing the losing team of the two winning teams encounter in the semi-final.

The losing 8 teams play off in a senior B style competition as currently in use in the football championship.

What I like about this proposal is that it takes away the safety nets and the dead rubbers that the group games are currently throwing up. It also brings back cut-throat first round encounters that should add intensity and excitement to the championship. 

Shit proposal. Lose your first game and the year is effectively over.
Plus what's the point of playing a quarter final, followed by another game when the finalists are already decided....