Offaly vs. Limerick NHL 28/03/2010

[Plain of the Herbs]

One other thing. The list of previous meetings of Offaly and Limerick in the programme yesterday omitted 3 matches, those of 1932-33, 1975-76 and the 1979-80 playoff.

[Efan]

Just wondering what option do you favour? Do you favour a 2 up 2 down scenario?


I would prefer two up two down. For the teams like ourselves that are top third of division 2 bottom third of division 1 they system of only one team getting promotion to division 2 is not adding development in the less strong hurling counties. The idea that you can play the whole league in Division 2, finish top, loose the final and not get promoted is a sickner. We benefited it from it last season but in my opinion that does not make it right. The method of deciding the two up two down can be done in a few ways:
1) Straight swap bottom 2 for top 2 (but still play a league final like they do in the NFL). This would be my preferred choice.
2) Bottom one relegated, top promoted and then second from bottom playing second from top in a play off.
3) Top promoted 2nd and 3rd play off to be promoted and last 2 in first division drop down.

The biggest game Offaly played and won in the last 2 years has been that Division 2 final last year. With the way the Limerick debacle unfolded they will probably drop down this year (ok …Dublin could still get caught). They (Limerick) will be under big pressure to perform to get back up next season. With one up one down one of Wexford, Clare and Laois could end up with 2 seasons of Division 2 hurling. There but for the grace of God … That will not aid hurling development in any of those counties and from the big picture perspective that’s not good. In my opinion the current system is an exercise in shoring up the top 4-6 teams to try and make for some level of competition in the Championship at the expense of the teams 6-10 in the pecking order.

Thankfully we are the ones benefiting from the higher standard of hurling at present. However, from a general long term development of the game in middle tier hurling counties personally I think the league system promotional/relegation system is a barrier in the majority of cases.

[the bare biffo]

It seems to me that the reason we have the current nonsensical set up is because the media were howling complaints that it made no sense having th etop teams in seperate sections not playing eachother and instead handing out hammerings to the likes of laois, antrim (and I suppose offaly too) etc.

So is what has been put in place, a lot more to do with finances and perception than it has with developing the game ?

Is it a greater plus for teams like carlow and westmeath to have the likes of clare and wexford in their group for a year or two than it is a negative for clare and wexford ?

Are the recent results of Carlow and westmeath showing the benefits of games against clare, wexford, offaly and antrim ?

I dont know. But I agree that the system where you can be unbeaten in the division and lose out on promotion by losing a money making final is wrong.

I would agree that the current divisions with two up two down would be better.

[backofthenet]

I think the whole system needs to be revamped to be honest. It is killing Wexford and Clare hurling to be in division 2, and it certainly isnt bringing on Antrim, Carlow or Laois (despite Carlows great performance the Div 2 league final will be contested by Wexford and Clare.

I would propose to split the divisions again.I would have 6 teams in each of the first two divisions

(based on current standings)

Division 1

Cork
Galway
Tipp
Waterford
Kilkenny
Offaly

Division 2

Dublin
Limerick
Clare
Laois
Wexford
Carlow

I think both teams would be really competitive, I would have a 1 up 1 down, There would be less games which helps player burnout, It still gives the developing counties such as Antrim Carlow & Laois a chance to play good teams and get to the top table of hurling whilst it doesnt languish teams such as Wexford and Clare down in a bad division with no competitive games.

If we just adopted a 2 up 2 down to the current setup it wouldnt change anything, you would still have two good teams (eg Limerick and Dublin) playing far too inferior teams who wont learn a thing out of a 20 point hammering.

[leinsterman]

Yes I AGREED it should be two up two down, we were lucky to come up last year after wexford beat us in wexford park, and we just about came out on
top in the final. the thing about the one coming up the likes of laois or antrim,carlow, will never come up when if either of them finish in the top two
the will have to play clare or wexford in the league final in thurles.

i know carlow beat wexford last week but they beat us in 2005 as well, and when we got them in the final in portlaoise it was over after ten minute's
and if wexford were to play carlow in the final it would be one way traffic as well. laois are doing well this year but they have to beat wexford to get
second place in the division, and if they were to do that can anyone really see them beating clare in the final in thurle's no don't think so.

that's why it was so important that offaly got out of that division last year and even more important that we stayed up this year it was as good as winning
the league. i said last year if i had the choice of matche's to win the league final or the championship game with wexford i said the league final
because offaly are a young team and need to be playing top class hurling county's like the cats and cork to bring the young lads on.

i remember last year sitting in the stands watching offaly hurl kerry and carlow and going to mullingar to see them play westmeath and see them
learn nothing from beating any of them team's, i know cork,kk,galway have bet us this year but i think offaly will learn from those game's.
after last sundays win it might not have been a great display but it did the job to stay up, thank god we not in division 2 and i hope it will be
a long time before we are back down there, bet you wexford clare would tell you the same.

[ballinamereman1]

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

[leinsterman]

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

saw the diggy hurl last year god he has gone back alot, he was in england for a while think he is home now.
have to say yes if he was hurling well and in with offaly he would be on that offaly team no problem
he is not that old either about 26 or that its a pity lovely hurler.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

When Diggy first came on to the panel and was on form he was a joy to watch. Pure wrists. His performance against Wexford in 2003 prior to getting injured was his high point in an Offaly jersey.
Despite a good start, nobody can say he has been deserving of a place on the Offaly panel in the last number of years, much less the team.

[backofthenet]

he has hurled very little in the last few years, seen him come on for shinrone last year in one or two games, done ok but not up to county standard at the moment. I think if he got back up to speed he would be on the verge of the team certainly...either midfield or wing forward as he is well able to take a point aswell

[turk]

The hurling league is difficult to formulate a structure for because ultimately there are big gaps between the different levels and also within levels.

When it was 1a, 1b 2a, 2b etc, it wasn't ideal in that teams that came up from division 2 to division 1 were hockeyed. If you look at what is in division 1 now and add the top four from division 2 (prob antrim, wexford, clare and leix) then you will have a division containing some of these teams with the top teams at present. I think whatever structure is chosen it should be stuck with for a few years and not just changed until it is assessed at the end of a period.

This year's league has been good. There has been competitive matches between the top teams in division 1 and division 2 has been keenly contested.

I would favour one up one down with a play off for the second promotion spot with the second last team in division 1.

Ultimately teams need to get on with it as the structures cannot be continually changed for teams to make progress. Dublin have done well and improved from a few years back when they would not have been considered a division 1 side. If you look further back, no one changed the league structures or introduced round robins in the championship for Offaly to make their breakthroughs back over the years.

[Bord na Mona man]

I would favour one up one down with a play off for the second promotion spot with the second last team in division 1.

I was thinking that as well. '2-up 2-down' may be a lot in small Divisions, only '1-up 1-down' seems restrictive.
A play off is decent half way solution with the promotion/relegation, or status-quo then being merited.

If Offaly were in Wexford's shoes last year, we'd surely feel aggrieved at losing out on promotion in the league final despite the better head-to-head and points average record.

[ballinamereman1]

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

saw the diggy hurl last year god he has gone back alot, he was in england for a while think he is home now.
have to say yes if he was hurling well and in with offaly he would be on that offaly team no problem
he is not that old either about 26 or that its a pity lovely hurler.

he has hurled very little in the last few years, seen him come on for shinrone last year in one or two games, done ok but not up to county standard at the moment. I think if he got back up to speed he would be on the verge of the team certainly...either midfield or wing forward as he is well able to take a point aswell

[

When Diggy first came on to the panel and was on form he was a joy to watch. Pure wrists. His performance against Wexford in 2003 prior to getting injured was his high point in an Offaly jersey.
Despite a good start, nobody can say he has been deserving of a place on the Offaly panel in the last number of years, much less the team.

funny how ye said that a month ago..

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

even more fuuny how i said this.. i brought that up a month ago as i thought diggy was needed in the team for his style of hurling.. lads probably thought i was winding them up or being a WUM but lets get this clear lads
I HAVE NEVER BEEN A WUM
I WILL NEVER BE A WUM
I NEVER WANT TO BE A WUM
OR FOR THAT MATTER BRANDED A WUM
when lads saw me coming on this website the ripped into me. argued against me and slated me branded me as a WUM why i dont know.. why i asked isit because im not from a hurling strong hold, isit because im from ballinamere,, why??? why why...

even now lads wont own up and say the were in the wrong.. even now when its obvious im not a WUm and infact if you have not already realised i am a man with huge GAA knowledge has that not become apparent.. if your in doubt look at the tipster competition i think im up near the top.. not being big headed but i need to address this..

now still people after reading this will still brand me a WUM or think im on here for a wind up or a laugh.. well lads yer wrong im here to talk about the GAA in offaly.. i think the people who branded me a WUM know who you are and know what todo..

i brought up this as i thought it was the best time todo so.. and lads if you think i am a WUM please keep it to yourself because i dont appreciate being branded one..!!

[Long John]

I saw Cordial in the first two rounds of the Championship. He's nowhere near the player he was. He did ok in the two games I saw him in. Against Kinnitty he picked up some loose but didnt threaten like he did in the past when he first hit the scene. Against Shamrocks he won a good few frees but that was more to do with silly fouls than him threatening. Think he may have got one point from play but wasnt controlling midfield.

It is good to see him back with the county. I'm sure he can get back to his former days standard. Best games I saw him hurl were Minor Leinster semi final against KIlkenny in Dr Cullen Park, outstanding midfield performance that day, and if memory serves me correct he scored 3 or 4 goals from play in an All Ireland Vocational schools final from corner forward. PLAYING FOR TIPPERAY AGAINST GALWAY. He had a stormer of a first half against Wexford in Nowlan park before Offaly faded badly in 2nd half.

Him and Browne to me are very justified in been given a chance. The others drafted in are a bit of a joke.

[leinsterman]

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

saw the diggy hurl last year god he has gone back alot, he was in england for a while think he is home now.
have to say yes if he was hurling well and in with offaly he would be on that offaly team no problem
he is not that old either about 26 or that its a pity lovely hurler.

he has hurled very little in the last few years, seen him come on for shinrone last year in one or two games, done ok but not up to county standard at the moment. I think if he got back up to speed he would be on the verge of the team certainly...either midfield or wing forward as he is well able to take a point aswell

[

When Diggy first came on to the panel and was on form he was a joy to watch. Pure wrists. His performance against Wexford in 2003 prior to getting injured was his high point in an Offaly jersey.
Despite a good start, nobody can say he has been deserving of a place on the Offaly panel in the last number of years, much less the team.

funny how ye said that a month ago..

whatever happened diggy cordial anyone/??? he was a fine hurler.. that type of game on sunday would have suited him.. he would have pucked lot ball midfield.. when the game opened up..

even more fuuny how i said this.. i brought that up a month ago as i thought diggy was needed in the team for his style of hurling.. lads probably thought i was winding them up or being a WUM but lets get this clear lads
I HAVE NEVER BEEN A WUM
I WILL NEVER BE A WUM
I NEVER WANT TO BE A WUM
OR FOR THAT MATTER BRANDED A WUM
when lads saw me coming on this website the ripped into me. argued against me and slated me branded me as a WUM why i dont know.. why i asked isit because im not from a hurling strong hold, isit because im from ballinamere,, why??? why why...

even now lads wont own up and say the were in the wrong.. even now when its obvious im not a WUm and infact if you have not already realised i am a man with huge GAA knowledge has that not become apparent.. if your in doubt look at the tipster competition i think im up near the top.. not being big headed but i need to address this..

now still people after reading this will still brand me a WUM or think im on here for a wind up or a laugh.. well lads yer wrong im here to talk about the GAA in offaly.. i think the people who branded me a WUM know who you are and know what todo..

i brought up this as i thought it was the best time todo so.. and lads if you think i am a WUM please keep it to yourself because i dont appreciate being branded one..!!

Ballinamereman 1 you have made some good points, but you were also wrote some silly post's about senior hurling clubs in offaly Lusmagh and Kinnitty .
you also said birr won in offaly because there was no one else in it, 94, 98 offaly won the hurling birr won the club allirelands around them times as well so
offaly club hurling was strong.

as for long john i have seen young James Mulrooney for the last few year's and in this year's under 21 final's for his club and for offaly under 21s last year
again the cat's. he is a fine young hurler and one to look out for in the next few year's and i don't think he will be a joke.

as for Mark Quinlan he was a great under age player for Birr played in the under16s county final a few years ago also was on the bench for the seniors the same day
for the county final i think it was 2005 or 2006. a back injury put him out for a while i think has done well this year in his two games for the birr senior's
and there's plenty of hurling in him lets get behind them not run them down.

[beirut]

What's a WUM?