Fairplayalways wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 3:48 pm
Shinrone and Rynaghs will be a good Quarter final - winners play KK I think...One would think Rynaghs hurled that bit better all championship, that said Shinrone have come good when required. Belmont and Birr will be interesting, Belmont will probably be favourites possibly given then ran Ballinamere so close - that said Birr are in knockout and know if they can get over QF they wont fear Ballinamere if thats the draw..I think both Rynaghs and Belmont will progress though...
All Offaly semi finals are an Open Draw.
That Offaly page online from Liam White is very mis-leading the way he has done out each draw. Not the first time I've heard someone assume they have such and such in a semi final in both football and hurlng.
But it is an open draw with the exception of the 2 top teams being kept apart.
I don't think Liam White is behind that page, although he does repost some of their content.
Liam has his own media page where he uses graphics that are different to those used by ATO.
I think the owner of that page is on here at times?
to be honest I was a bit suspicious as to how potentially Rynaghs could end up playing KK again and Ballinamere play Belmont..not saying it can happen depending on who QFs winners are but I was wondering alright..
greenairfield wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 8:52 pm
They prob should bring in rule if teams are different groups they automatically play each other in semis.
First rule change should be to abolish the seeding. The draw for the Offaly SHC is seeded to within an inch ot it’s life. An absolute nonsense.
greenairfield wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 8:52 pm
They prob should bring in rule if teams are different groups they automatically play each other in semis.
First rule change should be to abolish the seeding. The draw for the Offaly SHC is seeded to within an inch ot it’s life. An absolute nonsense.
And have one group with KK, Ballinamere, Rynaghs, Belmont and Birr?
greenairfield wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 8:52 pm
They prob should bring in rule if teams are different groups they automatically play each other in semis.
They should indeed. Repeat pairings should be avoided where possible.
Similar has happened in the lower grades of the football where semis are repeats of group games. Doesn't make any sense.
Fairplayalways wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 3:48 pm
Shinrone and Rynaghs will be a good Quarter final - winners play KK I think...One would think Rynaghs hurled that bit better all championship, that said Shinrone have come good when required. Belmont and Birr will be interesting, Belmont will probably be favourites possibly given then ran Ballinamere so close - that said Birr are in knockout and know if they can get over QF they wont fear Ballinamere if thats the draw..I think both Rynaghs and Belmont will progress though...
I would have agreed that Belmont would be favs v Birr.
However, the outright odds for the c'ship suggest that Rynaghs and Birr will be favs for these 2 games.
KK odds slashed after qualifying directly for the semis.
Both Birr and Belmont are 2 wins from 4. Both wins coming against opposition that finished below them. Both have an almost identical scoring difference.
It's close to a 50-50 but Belmont are incapable of winning close games as evidenced by their second halves against Shinrone and Ballinamere. I'd fancy Birr.
I was having a read of the Offaly GAA 2025 bye laws over on the map thread.
Rule 7.2 (b) stood out to me, regarding exceptions to team gradings: 'If a club loses the relegation final of a particular grade and has a team at the next lower level, no relegation will take place from the higher grade for that year only'.
As an example, that would mean that even if St Rynaghs lose the Intermediate relegation final to Ballinamere, they won't drop down to Junior A as they already have a team there.
This rules seems a bit crazy to me and it looks like it rewards a club for lack of ambition.
For instance, what is to stop a club ensuring that they stay afloat at Junior A by any means necessary, thus ensuring their Intermediates can't be relegated, no matter how poorly they perform?
Surely it should be that if you are relegated, your lower team should then be forced back down a tier?
I heard that the Rynaghs Junior A management recently called training on the same night of an intermediate championship game.
17 togged out for the intermediates and 26 went to junior training.
I would be shocked if there wasn't a number of them good enough to hurl intermediate.
Fair enough on a case by case basis if a lad doesn't want to hurl at a higher grade. But a club shouldn't let it happen at a systemic level.
Rule 7.2 (b) stood out to me, regarding exceptions to team gradings:
'If a club loses the relegation final of a particular grade and has a team at the next lower level, no relegation will take place from the higher grade for that year only'.
As an example, that would mean that even if St Rynaghs lose the Intermediate relegation final to Ballinamere, they won't drop down to Junior A as they already have a team there.
This rules seems a bit crazy to me and it looks like it rewards a club for lack of ambition.
For instance, what is to stop a club ensuring that they stay afloat at Junior A by any means necessary, thus ensuring their Intermediates can't be relegated, no matter how poorly they perform?
As Newton would say, 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. By the same logic;
Rule 7.2. (a) If a club that wins a Championship, already has a team in the next highest grade, that team cannot be graded at the next highest level for the following year. In this instance, the team that looses a relegation final, at the next highest grade will not be regraded for that year only.
So equally, if the clubs Junior A's won the championship they would not be promoted.
All seems fair to me!
What happens in the event Rynaghs get relegated from intermediate and win the Junior A? Do the junior A team become the intermediate team (for regrading purposes) and vice versa? Has it ever happened before? Or have a club ever had a team get relegated and promoted to the same level? E.g. this year Ballinamere could be relegated from Intermediate but win Junior B.