2010 Offaly Games Structures

[Lone Shark]

Fair enough, I'm obviously in the minority here but I still think it's wrong. There will be dual players who, come the end of the group stages, won't be able to fart, never mind sprint for a ball. Also, the clubs who don't put as much emphasis on both codes are going to have 13 days to prepare for their next round when really the dual clubs will only have six. IMO it's a punishment for clubs and players who try and keep to the spirit of the GAA and keep playing both codes.

You're in the minority of those who have spoken up, not necessarily in the minority - plus you would have seen more of the effects of this firsthand than most of us, so that has to be allowed for too. Having said that, can you honestly say, hand on heart, that the burnout would be unavoidable if managers worked together?

The latter part of your point I agree with completely. That's why I'd like to see something like May for hurling, late June/July for football, August for hurling, and then alternate for the knockout rounds. Club hurlers could play league games while the football is on and vice versa.

Does anybody know what the situation is with reagrds how the quarter final draws are seeded, is it 1st .v. 4th and 2nd .v.3rd?

Yes - that's supposed to be the case.

Does anybody know what the situation is with reagrds how the quarter final draws are seeded, is it 1st .v. 4th and 2nd .v.3rd?

Incidentally, I hear rumours of a proposed divorce between Kilcormac and Killoughey. Is there anything concrete behind there, or is it just a knee-jerk reaction to County Final defeat around the Blue Ball?

I'd be amazed if this was true and more so if it came to pass but with some of the personalities involved in that club then who knows. Has anybody else heard of this?

Aweflee seems fairly convinced so I'd presume that's it dead in the water, but funnily enough I heard the same rumour doing the rounds about a week ago. Probably just nature abhorring a vacuum and filling it with purple monkey dishwasher in fairness. It certainly wasn't from anyone close to the club or anything like that.

[Aweflee]

Aweflee seems fairly convinced so I'd presume that's it dead in the water, but funnily enough I heard the same rumour doing the rounds about a week ago. Probably just nature abhorring a vacuum and filling it with purple monkey dishwasher in fairness. It certainly wasn't from anyone close to the club or anything like that.

That rumour does the rounds every year. I'd be very surprised if a split actually happened.

[joe bloggs]

Lads, you can't tell me that playing 4 senior club championship games in a row wouldn't lead to burn out. The knocks that lads get don't get a chance to heal and just get worse and by the end of the year lads are as fit as a fiddle for you, could run a marathon if you asked them to, but they're stuck to the ground. You'll get away with one or two lads like that, not a third or more of your team.

And player burn out isn't just for young lads. It's for lads with jobs, mortgages, wives and kids. It's pretty well agreed now that club teams are putting in about the same number of sessions as county teams (although they may not be being as ridgid outside of training as the successful county teams are). But yet everyone seems to accept that a player can't play senior county hurling and football together. Well if things stay going the way their going players will have to choose between senior hurling and senior football.

If a dual player was on two successful teams it could be all wrapped up in 16 games. Are you trying to say that a fit athelete could not cope with 16 games in one season. And what of the non dual players. Should they be restricted to playing only a few meaningful games per year as in the past. In the 4 team groups some teams played two games in May and if they lost them then the year was over.
It is the crazy amount of training that is the problem. Players training in January and Februray when the championship doesn't start until summer is the problem. If a lad is serious about Hurling/Football he will look after himself over the winter and a 6-8 pre season would be enough

[Lone Shark]

If a dual player was on two successful teams it could be all wrapped up in 16 games. Are you trying to say that a fit athelete could not cope with 16 games in one season. And what of the non dual players. Should they be restricted to playing only a few meaningful games per year as in the past. In the 4 team groups some teams played two games in May and if they lost them then the year was over.
It is the crazy amount of training that is the problem. Players training in January and Februray when the championship doesn't start until summer is the problem. If a lad is serious about Hurling/Football he will look after himself over the winter and a 6-8 pre season would be enough

No dual player will only play championship games, of course they'll be playing league matches as well, and that's before you allow for things like county teams being factored into the equation. Take Colin Egan from F/B, will be county U-21 football and hurling, club U-21 football and hurling, possibly county senior games, Fitzgibbon cup, all on top of the sixteen games you're talking about. I'd wager that players like Nigel Dunne from Shamrocks and Tom Spain from Erin Rovers/Brosna Gaels won't be far off that either. There's probably plenty of examples of that to a lesser degree as well .

You have all these different teams, and thus the expectancy that players will be at peak fitness at all these different times of year that is unreasonable. Your notion about players not training in January and February is all very well, but if players will have to play serious championship games in late April, then how can any club not train then?

[joe bloggs]

If a dual player was on two successful teams it could be all wrapped up in 16 games. Are you trying to say that a fit athelete could not cope with 16 games in one season. And what of the non dual players. Should they be restricted to playing only a few meaningful games per year as in the past. In the 4 team groups some teams played two games in May and if they lost them then the year was over.
It is the crazy amount of training that is the problem. Players training in January and Februray when the championship doesn't start until summer is the problem. If a lad is serious about Hurling/Football he will look after himself over the winter and a 6-8 pre season would be enough

No dual player will only play championship games, of course they'll be playing league matches as well, and that's before you allow for things like county teams being factored into the equation. Take Colin Egan from F/B, will be county U-21 football and hurling, club U-21 football and hurling, possibly county senior games, Fitzgibbon cup, all on top of the sixteen games you're talking about. I'd wager that players like Nigel Dunne from Shamrocks and Tom Spain from Erin Rovers/Brosna Gaels won't be far off that either. There's probably plenty of examples of that to a lesser degree as well .

You have all these different teams, and thus the expectancy that players will be at peak fitness at all these different times of year that is unreasonable. Your notion about players not training in January and February is all very well, but if players will have to play serious championship games in late April, then how can any club not train then?

And why couldn't they not start 6-8 weeks before championship? How long is pre season in other sports. as i said above , if a lad looks after himself over the winter it would be enough. Most will play soccer or 5 a-side or something so unless they make a right pig of themselves they won't be too bad.
As you mentioned some may have college commitments during the winter so they will come back in good shape too and by leaving training until march you won't have lads grumbling at them for not being home to train during Jan/Feb when as you said they are trying to peak for another manager.I know the intercounty players will have more on their plate but remember they only make up a small percentage of the playing base. They in general are not involved with their club teams (except the odd league game) before the championship starts. Surely even a club hurler/footballer will get his touch back after a few weeks of good ball work , and throw in a few practice games and they should be rarin' to go.

[uibhfhailiabu]

Aweflee seems fairly convinced so I'd presume that's it dead in the water, but funnily enough I heard the same rumour doing the rounds about a week ago. Probably just nature abhorring a vacuum and filling it with purple monkey dishwasher in fairness. It certainly wasn't from anyone close to the club or anything like that.

That rumour does the rounds every year. I'd be very surprised if a split actually happened.

Exactly, this same rumour does the rounds very often, a split is highely unlikely.

Can anyone confirm the structure for next years hurling championship? Some reports saying top 2 teams in each group into the semi-final and 2nd & 3rd in each group into quarters, others then saying 4 quarter finals between top 4 in each group. Good to see knockout basis re-introduced to the group stages either way, gives some meaning to these group games.

[Lone Shark]

Can anyone confirm the structure for next years hurling championship? Some reports saying top 2 teams in each group into the semi-final and 2nd & 3rd in each group into quarters, others then saying 4 quarter finals between top 4 in each group. Good to see knockout basis re-introduced to the group stages either way, gives some meaning to these group games.

Definitely top four in each group makes the quarters. 1st plays fourth in the other group, 2nd plays third etc.