League & Championship hurling 2022

[private joker]

Navan. 3pm. Saturday

[Dodge83]

One of the biggest problems with the league is the rules around player eligibility. For instance a club who has a senior and junior team being allowed to hurl senior players in Div 4 league games is totally unfair to the smaller clubs. These clubs have no chance of winning a league because when it comes to the business end , the bigger clubs will have senior players available to them. Maybe the county board should try change this and give the smaller clubs a chance. Give their players a chance to play a final in O’Connor park. It’s not all about senior !!

[NewEra]

As an aside a group of 8 with one team qualifying, as is the case in the Division 1 league is no way to promote a competition.

A good few years ago now, I was involved with a review group for Offaly fixtures, and I presented to a county board meeting some findings that involved a few ideas. Two quotes stuck with me from the night. We presented one structure for the hurling championships, that involved groups of four teams, and the league was a much more structured effort, with the last round and the knockouts all taking place after Offaly were done. The idea was to increase the intensity of group championship games, but also to give teams a little bit of a lead in, rather than having to go from playing for Offaly one weekend to playing championship with your club six or seven days later.

One club delegate - "league is all very well, but that means we might only get three hours of actual hurling in a year?!?!"

Later in the same discussion - "fixing the leagues in Offaly is like trying to put life back into a burger".


For work reasons, I keep an eye on games programmes in a lot of counties, and I can say definitively that there is no county I'm aware of that is as dismissive of league games as clubs and players are here in Offaly, particularly on the hurling side of things. You can't "promote" a competition that the clubs don't care about. They want a series of challenge games, to get ready for championship. Actually winning the league? Not a concern whatsoever. It is what it is, there's no point trying to promote it until the clubs themselves make it clear that they're interested in taking it seriously.

Worrying to see 6 walkovers given in the first round of the league across hurling and football. Lusmagh, Erin Rovers, Brigids, Kilclonfert and Gracefield hurlers...all their respective first teams gave walkovers, which is very concerning. It either shows that some rural clubs are genuinely struggling with numbers (something that I am hearing anecdotally across the county this year in particular) or that the league is genuinely a waste of time.

[frankthetank]

As is their modus operandi Shinrone put up a big tally in overcoming Ballinamere 4-20 to 1-20 in the Division 1 league last weekend.

Another set of fixtures this weekend with Ballinamere vs Seir Kieran probably being the most interesting game.

In the other fixtures you would have to think:
Coolderry will hammer Drumcullen
St Rynaghs should comfortably beat K/K (2nd team)
Shinrone will have way too much for Lusmagh
Birr will beat Clara comfortably
K/K (1st team) will win well vs Tullamore
Cloadiagh Gaels and Kinnitty could be tight.

[bracknaghboy]

Back in circulation after 5/52 in MRHTullamore, following a serious illness. Now in recovery, challenges in Offaly hurling continue. Is the Antrim game in Tullamore next Saturday?
Big test for Ml. Fennelly and squad.
Offaly footballers v Cork in do or die game on Sunday. It ain’t easy being green, white, and gold.

Jesus SearingDrive really hope you are on the mend, that sounds awful.
Yep the challenges continue for both sides but it's in their own hands this weekend. I had to laugh today talking to a lad about the games....."ah shur you can't trust either of them".......thats as accurate a description of the situation as you'll yet
Hurlers in Navan Saturday.....hopefully you might get to either match?

[SearingDrive]

Think I have to depend on Mids 103. Hope to get out to games in a few weeks, when I get ok from Medical people. Hoping for good news from Offaly at weekend.

[frankthetank]

Seir Kieran 2-15 Ballinamere 0-16 in the Division 1 Hurling League tonight.

An expected victory considering both teams respective absences due to senior and U20 inter county panellists.

[frankthetank]

The Divison 1 Hurling League has already become a farce and not even 2 rounds played.

This weekend alone Drumcullen have given a walkover to Coolderry, Tullamore have given a walkover to Kilcormac/Killoughey and Clara have given a walkover to Birr.

Pathetic stuff from those clubs.

In the one game that did go ahead Kinnitty hammered Clodiagh Gaels by 21 points. 5-13 to 0-07.

[private joker]

What are the likes of birr first team playing clara, who are missing 10 players through football and hurling squads. Who thought it was a good idea to mix the leagues with Senior A and senior B?

[greenairfield]

While I think it's a frace,Birr would also be missing about 10 players between senior and U21.

[private joker]

But Birr have 2nd team. Clara dont, drumcullen would struggle also. Clara missing ten means they simply can't field

[Dodge83]

While I think it's a frace,Birr would also be missing about 10 players between senior and U21.

10 players?? Doubt that !! Maybe 5 at most. Get your head out of the clouds

[greenairfield]

Eoghan Cahill
Morgan watkins
Rory Carthy
Lochall Quinn
Luke Nolan
Niall Lyons
Joe Ryan
Padraic watkins
Darragh tierney
Adam Fitzgerald

There is 10 dodge get your head out of the clouds

[frankthetank]

Shinrone put up another whopper of a score when defeating Lusmagh by 2-28 to 0-13 at the weekend in the Division 1 League.

Forwards moving well there. Always capable of producing big scores.

In the other game St Rynagh’s defeated Kilcormac/Killoughey’s 2nd team by 5 points.

[Dodge83]

Eoghan Cahill
Morgan watkins
Rory Carthy
Lochall Quinn
Luke Nolan
Niall Lyons
Joe Ryan
Padraic watkins
Darragh tierney
Adam Fitzgerald

There is 10 dodge get your head out of the clouds

Would all 10 of those be hurling Div 1 league ??