It was during the lengthy stoppage for Garry Ringrose’s injury when the older man turned to the younger man, who was sitting at the table opposite, and casually remarked, “Good win for Galway.”
It was a question as much as it was a statement of fact. Because, well, it’s hard to tell what exactly passes for a good victory in the Allianz National Hurling League these days.
The younger man, who was wearing a Galway GAA hoodie, responded politely but with a degree of indifference at the same time. Turned out he had been at the game in Ennis and was now on his way back up the road when he stopped off at the Galway Plaza for something to eat.
The game at Cusack Park lacked any real bite, he informed the older man. But sure it’s never a bad day when you win below in Ennis, he added with a smile.
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The TVs were showing Ireland’s Six Nations clash with Scotland, apart from one smaller screen which had Cork v Wexford on. But nobody seemed to be watching that, truth be told.
As the easy and polite conversation bounced over and back across the small tables, it didn’t take long for the hurling league format to provide the only certainty around the competition – uncertainty. Despite the win over Clare, and while still mathematically possible, the younger man didn’t feel there was much chance of Galway making the league semi-finals.
“Semi-finals?” the older man responded. “There are semi-finals?”
Indeed there are, though neither man quite seemed to know why. “Were there semi-finals last year?” wondered the older man. The younger man wasn’t sure, but he guessed there probably were. A brief, fiddly silence followed, and then the rugby resumed. Neither man spoke again about league hurling semi-finals.
Those in favour will argue semi-finals provide an opportunity for more competitive games. But in a competition that has felt hollow since the off, it just seems to add another needless act to the charade. Though they will also bring in a few extra euro for the league pot.
Still, just a few months back there was a proposal to abolish league finals across the four football divisions. Central Council eventually rejected the idea, but getting rid of football league finals had been a live discussion last year.
Yet in hurling, where we have a structure with two contrived Division Ones guaranteeing no jeopardy to the top counties, there are not only finals but also semi-finals. With all the debate around this compacted, tighter intercounty season, is there really a need for league semi-finals? Surely it is an unnecessary extra weekend, which if removed would allow the league final to be played a week earlier and create a slightly wider buffer between league and championship, which would in turn perhaps provide an incentive for teams to chase league silverware down with a little more enthusiasm.
Either way, there will be league hurling semi-finals this season. They are scheduled to be played on the weekend of March 25th-26th. The top team in Division 1A will play the second placed team in Division 1B, and vice-versa. Next Sunday will see the last round of groups games take place and here is how the Division One picture looks:
Division 1A
ROUND 5 FIXTURES: Clare v Cork; Westmeath v Galway; Limerick v Wexford.
TABLE: Cork 8pts; Limerick 6pts; Galway 4pts; Clare 4pts; Wexford 2pts; Westmeath 0pts
Cork have already booked their place in the last four, irrespective of how they get on against Clare next Sunday. Pat Ryan’s Rebels have won all four of their games. Limerick are best placed to join them in the semi-finals – a win or a draw against Wexford will see John Kiely’s side advance. The only way Clare or Galway can pip Limerick is on scoring difference – and that first requires all three teams finishing with six points.
Where two teams finish level on points, the head-to-head record is used to separate them – and Limerick have beaten both Galway and Clare.
But where three or more teams finish level on points, then scoring difference is the barometer. Entering the last round of games, Clare are on +36, Limerick +22 and Galway +3.
Division 1B
ROUND 5 FIXTURES: Antrim v Tipperary; Dublin v Laois; Kilkenny v Waterford
TABLE: Tipperary 8pts; Kilkenny 6pts; Waterford 5pts; Dublin 3pts; Antrim 2pts; Laois 0pts
The situation in Division 1B is more straightforward, where the outcome of Sunday’s showdown between Kilkenny and Waterford at Nowlan Park will determine who joins Tipperary in the semi-finals. Table-topping Tipp, with eight points, are already through to the last four. Kilkenny, on six points, need only a draw to take second place ahead of Waterford, who are on five points. But if Davy Fitzgerald’s Waterford beat Kilkenny then they will leap-frog the Cats in the division. Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng spoke on Sunday about wanting to get as many games for his team as possible, so for new bosses there is a benefit for a league structure that includes semi-finals. Still, it’s hard to know if Waterford will really want to play in a league semi-final, given how last year unravelled for them after they won the title.
Ahead of the last round of games, the relegation playoff picture is already determined, where Westmeath will play Laois in a battle to avoid falling through the trapdoor. Antrim’s win over Laois last weekend guarantees them Division One hurling again next season.
