League & Championship hurling 2022

[frankthetank]

Great win for Birr tonight v kk who are fancied team.

If Birr or more likely K/K win Senior B, does that mean there is no relegation from Senior A this year?

[Plain of the Herbs]

A strange one in Banagher on Friday evening. Both teams eager to play through the lines, both athletic and fit, both who you’d say “their training must be something else”, yet both played in fits and starts, with Belmont’s half-back area ultimately carrying the day.

Ballinamere don’t have the forwards. I wasn’t convinced about them when I saw them against Coolderry (even though they scored 0-26), but Brian Duignan was left to plough a lone furrow last evening, and when he was marshalled they had nothing else. Indeed, Ballinamere didn't build on either goal scored, going roughly ten minutes without scoring after both goals.

Belmont played with a sweeper, and while Ballinamere couldn’t get the ball past Mark Egan, particularly in the second half, Belmont never really used the spare man in a counter-attacking role. They had David Nally in the full-forward line who was dangerous, Cathal Flynn’s running caused Ballinamere some bother, but despite all that fell six points behind (albeit only for a minute before halving the deficit with a splendid goal), were level with time almost up.

Neither side could create the required space, both pucked out long too often for little return, and too many moves broke down because the run wasn’t made, or the pass wasn’t precise. The kind of stuff that has oul lads roaring “drive it”, but really it’s because of a failure of thought and of work.

Maybe Belmont will be better when Oisín returns, and he would represent a massive threat on square’s edge. But I couldn’t see either of these having the belief to really trouble St Rynagh’s or Kilcormac.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Great! Always nice when my research is confirmed. Did you research that yourself?

Clara beat tullamore tonight for the first time since 1927.

By my research, Clara beat Tullamore 3-2 to 3-1 in the 1927 North Offaly SHC final. Back then, the championship was divided into north and south divisions for travel purposes, Clara and Tullamore were the only two clubs to enter the North division, so their match was the north final, or the de facto county semi-final. Clara advanced to contest the county Senior final against Drumcullen two months later and were beaten 1-2 to 9-5. There is a narrow window between 1984 (Clara were Junior winners in 1983) and 1987 when they might have met in the Intermediate grade, but unless Clara met and beat Tullamore during that time, then Clara bridged a 95 year gap on Friday evening.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Not necessarily.

If Birr or more likely K/K win Senior B, does that mean there is no relegation from Senior A this year?

[frankthetank]

Would you be able to elaborate POTH?

[Plain of the Herbs]

On relegation? Yes. The detail will be in the detailed championship guidelines which at one time were on the crunchie board's website, but I couldn't find them when I went looking for them last night.
Those guidelines detail the formats for each grade, who qualifies for quarter finals, semi finals, etc, and who is in line for relegation.

When Rhode won the Intermediate football championship in 2011, there was still relegation from Senior football, and there were 11 teams in the Senior football championship for the next few years. But that may or may not have changed, it depends on the current guidelines.

Would you be able to elaborate POTH?

[private joker]

Clara probably favourite to win senior B now

[frankthetank]

Still think K/K will win it

[private joker]

Coolderry out of the championship now?

[frankthetank]

Yes.

Clodiagh Gaels vs Seir Kieran/Coolderry in relegation final.

[frankthetank]

Drumcullen hurling probably at it’s lowest point in history?

[private joker]

Drumcullen are an old team? Do they have much underage coming through.
Senior B is really at an all time low standard wise.

[frankthetank]

Drumcullen are an old team? Do they have much underage coming through.
Senior B is really at an all time low standard wise.

Think it’s nearly time to scrap the Senior B to be honest. And allow this year’s Intermediate finalists join those 6 teams (obviously taking this year’s senior A promotion/relegation into account) in an 8 team Intermediate championship for 2023.

[pigeon house biffo]

Whats the rationale behind having a senior b championship? Surely if you’re not hurling against rynaghs birr KK you have the cognitive capacity to realise that you’re hurling in the second tier? What difference does it make if its called intermediate or senior b? Is it to give the impression that teams in ‘b’ are only temporarily embarrassed ‘a’ teams? Genuinely curious.

[greenairfield]

What senior b had done has highlighted the work that needs to be done in clubs like,
Drumcullen
Clara
Tullamore
Lusmagh

Then you have shamrocks and Carrig in intermediate.


All these teams are there first teams but nowhere near ready for senior level I thought CG would be destroyed coming up senior but the way they are set up they have actually done quiet well.
To scrap senior b would be an awful mistake it's just covering over the cracks in the clubs above is all when kk and birr second string are beating some of them.