Kilkenny get a bye to Leinster SHC semi-final

WHY?

there are 8 teams in Leinster for 2010, isn't this a perfect set up for four quarter final fixtures? Kilkenny may be the best team in the country but it still makes no sense to me as to why they get a bye into the Leinster semi-final. seriously what is the logic behind this? how can we expect hurling to develop if we keep using stupid formats which favour the better team(s)?

Totally agree sam, whats the deal with that like, totally pointless im sure even brian cody him self would agree with you but some big wig sitting in a meeting somewhere insists on tradition!!

I'd even say Kilkenny would prefer the extra game too!

Do you think this for or against KK? I mean the side that they face will have at least 70 Championship time while they will be starting their campaign, so really do you think this is an advantage?

was reading cody in the paper today he was speaking in favour of the open draw ie round robin system replacing the current one, purely in the interests of hurling.

I again think the provincials can take place all you have to do is move back the league, scrap or make for minor or intermediate teams the walsh cup etc and play the provincials in april/may - when the weather is good, the winners could be seeded. 4 groups of three it would be brilliant for the weaker teams coming through have it that the christy ring winners play the worst team in a preliminary round with the winners going to the groups and the losers playing christy ring, not at the end of the season but as the first fixture of the new season, give them something to gear up for never mind this winning the christy ring then having to play again two weeks later to determine status for the following year?

The other way i would have it would be to include down, westmeath, carlow and mayo/derry and make it four groups of four, this through time would lead to the improvement of these counties, you may not have a big gate at mayo v kilkenny but you would give the mayo boys the experience of a life time, you can get the big gates at quater final stage with group winners seeded. You have more meaningful games by having the league early and the provincials still running, instead of the walsh/mcgrath cup where teams just play reserves this would bring in the extra revenue you lose from having the kk v mayo fixture.

But shouldn't Kilkenny be given a bye into the A/I Final and let the "pretenders" batter it out amongst themselves.......

Lovely......

North Side Gael wrote:was reading cody in the paper today he was speaking in favour of the open draw ie round robin system replacing the current one, purely in the interests of hurling.

I again think the provincials can take place all you have to do is move back the league, scrap or make for minor or intermediate teams the walsh cup etc and play the provincials in april/may - when the weather is good, the winners could be seeded. 4 groups of three it would be brilliant for the weaker teams coming through have it that the christy ring winners play the worst team in a preliminary round with the winners going to the groups and the losers playing christy ring, not at the end of the season but as the first fixture of the new season, give them something to gear up for never mind this winning the christy ring then having to play again two weeks later to determine status for the following year?

The other way i would have it would be to include down, westmeath, carlow and mayo/derry and make it four groups of four, this through time would lead to the improvement of these counties, you may not have a big gate at mayo v kilkenny but you would give the mayo boys the experience of a life time, you can get the big gates at quater final stage with group winners seeded. You have more meaningful games by having the league early and the provincials still running, instead of the walsh/mcgrath cup where teams just play reserves this would bring in the extra revenue you lose from having the kk v mayo fixture.

stand alone provincials sound like the best idea to me.