Offaly Hero wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2026 2:43 pm
faithfulfanatic wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2026 2:11 pm
Offaly Hero wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2026 1:58 pm
Best format would be Senior/Intermediate/Junior. No more of this nonsense nomenclature 'senior b'.
8 teams in each grade. Should make all grades much more competitive.
One group in each grade.
All teams play each other thereby guaranteeing seven group games at the height of summer for all teams and ensuring that there are no more 'fallow' weeks as exists under the current structure.
Top 4 in each group to semi finals. First plays fourth in the semi final and second plays third. Bottom team relegated. Teams placed 5,6,7 - season is over.
How would that work? Would the teams in the current junior A move to junior B? So that would be ok but a Senior B is not?
Where are these fallow weeks you speak of?
Offaly championships are played every weekend, alternating between hurling and football.
I don't know where you are pulling these extra weeks out of, unless you would like Offaly teams to withdraw from the Leinster club championships.
A championship's name has no bearing on its strength, the only way the new second tier could be voted through was by calling it Senior B.
Other counties call it premier intermediate, it makes no difference.
To address your points in order:
ONE: Junior can remain Junior A/B/C etc. Its a personal thing of mine against the senior B nomenclature. I think the fact it could only be voted through by calling it this name as opposed to intermediate speaks volumes. Bascially because some clubs didn't want their feelings hurt.
TWO: The second tier would be strengthened by having 8 teams in each tier. The second tier would have teams ranked 9-16th as opposed to current 11th - 16th.
THREE: The fallow weeks are the weeks for a team where group games happen but that team isn't playing. It occurs when there is an odd number of teams in each group.
For example in the last week of the Senior A group games on the 29th/30th August - both Edenderry and Ballycommon did not play. When did fallow week happens in the middle of the group stages - a team will go four weeks during the height of summer without playing a game. This is nonsense.
FOUR: The current format for senior A takes 14 weeks to complete from beginning to end. My format would take 16 weeks. I think it can be done.
FIVE: I would also like to see all games as home and away games, like the inter county championships.
Thanks Offaly Hero, well reasoned and good natured response.
1. I suppose I have no real problem with the naming of Senior B, happens in each county and it is the only way clubs voted in these competitions. My only gripe with the name is that other counties/clubs seem to use it as a stick to beat Offaly teams when playing them in Leinster club comps i.e. 'not fair that our lads as Kilkenny Intermediate champs have to play the Offaly Senior B champions', it's not as if we have had much success in these competitions.
I had a friend from Galway who would always laugh at Offaly having a Senior B and it not being called premier intermediate. Galway has now changed their format this year, there's a premier intermediate hurling competition but no intermediate.
Again, I'd imagine this was the only way clubs would vote for it.
2. Most counties with 8 teams in a competition seem to opt for 2 groups of 4, with 3 group games, or else criss-cross group stages (with 4 games). I'm not sure if this is because 7 groups games have been tried and didn't work. C'ship could be a bit devalued with so many group games, for instance Tullamore and the stronger sides wouldn't be too fussed about early games, knowing that they will qualify anyway (which is also the case now)!
I also think the push from Croke Park was for championships with 10-12 teams. I'm not sure if this was only from a POV of reducing from larger numbers or how they look at smaller numbers.
3. I get you now, I misunderstood that in your original post, I thought you meant to try push earlier into Summer. I think a lot of clubs view the bye week as a good chance to regroup/get lads fit/let lads go on holiday. Probably very beneficial for a dual club also who are out every week.
4. Everyone wants more games and more competitive games until it actually happens and lads are at higher risk of burnout/injury. This would also negatively impact smaller clubs more than bigger clubs, as the likes of Ballycommon or Clonbullogue may realistically have 18-19 lads to use throughout a senior campaign, while Tullamore can turn to 25-26 lads who are up to the level.
5. I like the home and away games, but neutral games are also a great pull. I think 1 home game is enough for each club. All home/away gets rid of double headers and chances for smaller clubs to play big games on the best pitches (Tullamore, Rath, Birr etc).
