Antrim Hurling

[SaffronSports]

WRT the leagues, we were asked whether we wanted to go back into Div1 by Antrim CCC (I think) and we agreed to go back into Div 1 but it wasn't a clearcut decision within the club due to the fact we've now eight players involved with Down seniors and another seven with the U20's albeit there's two of our players overlap.

So if we get a bad weekend with the seniors playing and the U20's playing we're decimated for a league game that same weekend which happened twice last year where the Dall put 50 points on us up there and Loughgiel had almost 30 on us with both our sub keepers playing in the FF Line as well as a lad in his late 30's who helps me coach underage who just wanted to play a bit of seconds hurling in the half forward line.
We're probably looking at something similar this year and in all fairness some of the Antrim teams have big contingents in both their seniors and U20's as well which might be a bit of a leveller...

We'd hope to have everyone back for when the league splits and take it from there, but I'd say the split season is one of the reasons the club leagues have become more or less meaningless, especially the Div 1 league.

Talk was there would be no split in the league. Anyone heard what's being proposed at present?

[NAG1]

WRT the leagues, we were asked whether we wanted to go back into Div1 by Antrim CCC (I think) and we agreed to go back into Div 1 but it wasn't a clearcut decision within the club due to the fact we've now eight players involved with Down seniors and another seven with the U20's albeit there's two of our players overlap.

So if we get a bad weekend with the seniors playing and the U20's playing we're decimated for a league game that same weekend which happened twice last year where the Dall put 50 points on us up there and Loughgiel had almost 30 on us with both our sub keepers playing in the FF Line as well as a lad in his late 30's who helps me coach underage who just wanted to play a bit of seconds hurling in the half forward line.
We're probably looking at something similar this year and in all fairness some of the Antrim teams have big contingents in both their seniors and U20's as well which might be a bit of a leveller...

We'd hope to have everyone back for when the league splits and take it from there, but I'd say the split season is one of the reasons the club leagues have become more or less meaningless, especially the Div 1 league.

Talk was there would be no split in the league. Anyone heard what's being proposed at present?

Don't be panicking lads, if at the end of the season it turns out that some of the clubs don't like the outcome we can always change it again next year and the following year and the one after that......

[Saffron71]

There have been new proposals put out about the leagues with Division 2 becoming a 14 team league (Biddies and Creggan up from Div 3) with two groups of 7.  Everyone in your group play once with top 4 in each group breaking into a promotion group and bottom 3 in each group into a relegation group.  Division 3 goes to 10 teams with the addition of  St Endas Reserves.  That means that the Johnnie's are the only Antrim club in Division 1 without a reserve team in the all county leagues.

[Gael-in-exile]

There have been new proposals put out about the leagues with Division 2 becoming a 14 team league (Biddies and Creggan up from Div 3) with two groups of 7.  Everyone in your group play once with top 4 in each group breaking into a promotion group and bottom 3 in each group into a relegation group.  Division 3 goes to 10 teams with the addition of  St Endas Reserves.  That means that the Johnnie's are the only Antrim club in Division 1 without a reserve team in the all county leagues.

Would that mean some D2 teams only get 11 league games or would there be home and away after the split??

[saffman]

Lets call it for what it is...

An absolute shambles

Lets just scrap the leagues and send the players out to do hill sprints from now until July then we can worry about championship.

At least then we can be straight up that the leagues are nothing more than a gimmick that we play about with every year

[SaffronSports]

Lets call it for what it is...

An absolute shambles

Lets just scrap the leagues and send the players out to do hill sprints from now until July then we can worry about championship.

At least then we can be straight up that the leagues are nothing more than a gimmick that we play about with every year

July not a bit early? Nobody wants to show their hand in the groups as sure they're nearly all through anyway so time enough peaking for the knockouts.

[marty34]

Lets call it for what it is...

An absolute shambles

Lets just scrap the leagues and send the players out to do hill sprints from now until July then we can worry about championship.

At least then we can be straight up that the leagues are nothing more than a gimmick that we play about with every year

July not a bit early? Nobody wants to show their hand in the groups as sure they're nearly all through anyway so time enough peaking for the knockouts.

I hate this craic. All cloak and dagger stuff. As bad as inter-county teams naming teams and then changing about 5 players.

It makes no real difference. You see teams all the way through the previous championship and league etc. Players know other club players very well regardless. 

[SaffronSports]

Lets call it for what it is...

An absolute shambles

Lets just scrap the leagues and send the players out to do hill sprints from now until July then we can worry about championship.

At least then we can be straight up that the leagues are nothing more than a gimmick that we play about with every year

July not a bit early? Nobody wants to show their hand in the groups as sure they're nearly all through anyway so time enough peaking for the knockouts.

I hate this craic. All cloak and dagger stuff. As bad as inter-county teams naming teams and then changing about 5 players.

It makes no real difference. You see teams all the way through the previous championship and league etc. Players know other club players very well regardless. 

I know how I'd fix it.

[Milltown Row2]

Offaly beat Dublin, in Dublin

We were poor but gives you an idea where Offaly have used youth development to bring it through to senior

[podge]

My god this is awful.  Every puck out to the same square inch with a 5pc success rate so far!  Body language is awful.

[SaffronSports]

It's a work in progress dont forget. My issue is the finished piece looks like it will be division 3.

[LC]

There was me thinking they would have been competitive today as the game was in Corrigan.

[Around the glens]

I feel gleesons work could all be undone within this one year...

[Gael-in-exile]

Anyone know who won toss?
I also notice the captain changed. I get the impression (ignoring the absolute terrible performance which I'm reluctant to put at players door) that all is not well in the camp.

[marty34]

Poor of Antrim to score only 11pts. Disappointing. James Mc Naughton got a few frees but Antrim got very little from open play. That's strange in hurling. Especially in Corrigan Park.

Next game crucial.