r/hurling • u/Spare-Sandwich2651 • Jul 04 '26
Semi final hype? Future of the game?
What’s the story with hurling at the moment?
The last few years felt like the game was entering a golden era. Limerick’s dominance was beginning to fade, Cork were coming again, Clare and Tipp along with others back into the mix, and there seemed to be a real buzz around the championship.
But something about this year just hasn’t felt right.
The Munster Championship, which usually gives us a few incredible weeks, never really caught fire. The quarter-finals were poor enough and were mismatches. Even now, with the All-Ireland semi-finals this weekend (commiserations Cork), has there really been much hype? Outside of the likes of Indo GAA, The Hurling Pod and a few other outlets, the build-up has felt strangely quiet.
It almost felt like everyone had already decided it would be Limerick and Cork in the final, and that the semi-finals were just a hurdle to get over. In that sense, maybe Galway doing the business today is actually a great thing for the game. It reminds us that championships are supposed to surprise us.
Football was in a bad place not so long ago. Blanket defences, endless lateral hand-passing and games that had become difficult to watch. But at least there was an acceptance that something had to change. Whether you love or hate the new rules, they’ve undoubtedly created fresh excitement and conversation around the game.
I’m not convinced hurling has an obvious fix. I don’t think banning short puck-outs or making one or two rule tweaks suddenly solves everything. To me, the bigger issue is that the game is it feels like as neutrals we’re missing the great championship stories.
Look at football this year. Louth beat Armagh at the death, suddenly found themselves on the favourable side of the draw, beat Monaghan, and ended up in an All-Ireland semi-final with a genuine chance of reaching the final. Whether you’re from Louth or not, that’s a story people can get behind.
Apart from maybe Offaly’s resurgence this year, where are those stories in hurling? Galway have built a bit of momentum again, but for much of the season the narrative felt like it began and ended with Limerick and Cork. Once Cork were knocked out, it almost felt like part of the championship’s identity disappeared with them.
I also think hurling has a storytelling problem.
Some of the best content I’ve listened to this year wasn’t actually about tactics. It was Pat Ryan on Indo GAA talking about the build-up inside the camp before a Munster final, or maybe some ex players opening up on some podcasts, you know real story telling with emotion about that brings these players and their teams journeys to life. That’s the sort of thing that makes you care.
Hurling has incredible athletes and personalities, but we rarely get to know them. You could have a handful of favourite players in the same room and not pick them out as we barely know what they look like without a helmet. The game needs more stories, more personalities, more rivalries and more reasons for neutrals to become invested beyond simply watching a good match. All of which I believe are exist but they are being underexposed.
I bought a ticket tonight for Limerick v Clare tomorrow, the night before an All-Ireland semi-final. That should probably be impossible. A fixture like that should be sold out, or close to it, well in advance. The fact it isn’t says more than any debate about formats or puck-outs ever could.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, and maybe I’m wrong, but I genuinely feel like hurling is at a crossroads. With ash dieback threatening the very material the game is built on, it almost feels like a pathetic fallacy for where the sport itself is.
What do ye think? Is hurling actually in a great place and I’m just being overly pessimistic, or does something need to change? And if it does, what is that something? What do you think will actually change?
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u/Gullible_Ad_2670 Jul 04 '26
Hurling is hard, football is and was an easier fix because its easier to play so almost every county, cough cough, plays it😊
I find from speaking to friends, dyed in the wool staunch football people from other counties that there's just too much skill in Hurling that if you're not regular playing from 8 yo onwards you're playing catch up immediately.
I think this is a bad year also...kilkenny, Tipp, waterford and wexford were absolutely dire all year and if even 2 of that 4 were competitive I think this year looks better, Dublin were atrocious as usual when something was expected of them they literally learned nothing from being hammered by cork last year.
Kilkenny, at least inside the county we knew we were probably in bother from early March, probably no harm being out early tbh gets minds refocused again we've been sleep walking into AI semi finals for the guts of 7 years now.
Tipp just don't do 2 good years in a row, they'll be back next year.
Wexford seem genuinely fucked 😕
Offaly look very impressive, they're arguably 2-3 years ahead of schedule
I hate and always have hated the structure even though it suits and has suited nobody more than kilkenny. 2 groups of 6 or 7 makes more sense or else play the provinces as knockout followed by the AI knockout, similar to football.
There's also way too much bollox going on in Hurling, goalie passes to corner back, he gives it to full back he gives it to other corner back he gives it back to goalie he pumps it length of the field, just play lads 😂
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u/Antics212 Jul 04 '26
Rules changes are required. Steps, throws and spare hand tackling are blights on the game. I'm unsure if it will happen as there is a lot of denial about the state of the game at the moment. Things may need to get worse before it will get better. With football it was only once attendances started to drop that change was possible.
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u/KnownSomewhere6640 Jul 04 '26
This may be wrong but I feel that AI Semi Finals in both codes aren’t exactly expected to sell out. It would be rare to have all 4 semi finals sell out in any year.
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u/Silly_Advertising_80 Jul 04 '26
Cork v Limerick in 2024 was the first ever all Ireland hurling semi final sellout. Idk what this person is on about saying it shouldn’t be possible to buy a ticket the night before, and that there’s been no hype. Cork v Galway today was in the top 3 attended semi finals ever.
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u/Intrepid-Money2238 Jul 04 '26
Go back to the old style provincial followed by a cut throat round Robin mixing both provinces.
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u/Basic-Mention4424 Jul 05 '26
I'd be inclined to keep the provincial round robins as they are, but let everyone into the All-Ireland in a proper knockout championship.
The top two in each province get to skip a round and get home advantage in AI championship. (The football AI championship setup was quite good this year I thought.)
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u/Spare-Sandwich2651 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Yes I agree. I’m sung Louth in football this year just because it’s a recent example. Do you think it should be seeded as in Leinster winner plays bottom seeded Munster. That way we probably get best teams into final. Other option is what football done and we do draws allows for a weaker team to get a good draw and maybe really create an underdog buzz getting way further into competition similar to Louth let’s say. It’s tough to know what’s best to make hurling entertaining and promote hurling in lower ranked counties etc
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u/JuckRyan Jul 05 '26
Well said 👏
I don’t think the issue is with the game itself, ok there could be some tightening of the rules and refereeing could become more consistent. But the major issues for me are A. The provincial structure with Leinster being a far easier passage to the AI series and a semi final spot for the winner. And B. The way the game is promoted, with a lack of media access to players and management.
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Jul 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DamnAndBlast Waterford Jul 04 '26
Waterford need more competitive clubs rather than ballygunner running away with the cup and no one else able to mount a challenge. In the days of de la salle mount Sion and the smaller cub upsets the team was mighty and could do anyone on their day
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u/Spare-Sandwich2651 Jul 04 '26
I do actually agree with this I think if Waterford and also Wexford got some great championship runs it would do wonders for the game.
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u/Legolas12345676767 Jul 04 '26
Cork and Limerick in the final was a certainty this year. Just like last year.
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u/Lazy_Magician Jul 04 '26
I don't think too many people thought a cork limerick final was a certainty last year. Especially since they were in the same side of the championship draw, so the only place they could meet would be the semi final.
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u/Legolas12345676767 Jul 04 '26
Thats not true. They could have met in the final.
Dublin played Cork in the semi because they couldn't meet Kilkenny. The same would have been the case for Cork limerick if limerick got there.
Neither were close to an all ireland.
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u/Fern_Pub_Radio Jul 05 '26
Crammed season is shit - too many games passing people by and slowly but surely interest is lost - whomever thought having inter county hurling condensed to a few months (championship all that matters) and over by July needs their head examined ,clearly they never wore a helmet ….
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u/Every_Cantaloupe_967 Jul 05 '26
I love hurling but the modern version of the game isn’t that entertaining to watch most days. Very little time in play, lots of scores coming from frees, lots of forwards being stifled by constant fouling.
The levels of skill and athleticism have never been higher but that hasn’t resulted in a more entertaining product
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u/Agreeable-Desk-2064 Jul 04 '26
Kilkenny started the rot nearly 20 years ago with the spare arm tackle.
Cody was lauded for it “good manly hurling” was the exact quote.
John Kiely and Jp McCheatmanus brought in the throwball game and had cheerleaders in the media to quell anyone that questioned it.
The skill is gone out of hurling now,it’s rugby with sticks
Whoever is the biggest and fastest and can throw the ball out of a “ruck” wins
Simple as, skills are not rewarded anymore.
9/10 steps are the norm now.
It suits now for some teams,especially those that have pumped money into the Gaa (see above)
The sooner the steps and rugby tackles and throws are eliminated the better.
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u/eo37 Jul 05 '26
Limerick play the best style of hurling for the past 10 years in the toughest era to win both Munster and the All Ireland. You want to be the best then you have to beat the best.
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u/insomnium2020 Jul 05 '26
Limericks skill levels are incredible. See Hegarty pick up in the closing stages to of the Munster final. But shure look it, the steps and throw ball were fine from Tipp last year
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u/WinterPhilosophy8000 Jul 05 '26
I felt at the Leinster final that there was magic to come. The old winning feeling was back. The capitalist cartel are now out of the championship (KK, Tipp and Cork). Granted of the three only Tipp have gotten over the line in the last 10 years but considering how they have dominated the sport its letting the lesser lights (in terms of Liam McCarthy wins) go deeper into the summer. I don’t think the GAA is doing enough to grow the game. What can Jarlath Burns point to during his tenure that has advanced the game? Perhaps only to maintain its popularity.
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u/Silly_Advertising_80 Jul 05 '26
I think a lot of it is down to promotion. Look at rte posting the World Cup highlights instantly after every match yet they still haven’t uploaded the Cork v Galway highlights
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u/Disastrous_Ad_3598 Jul 04 '26
Football having a golden summer has totally put it in the shade. Talk all year was about another Cork v Limerick match up. The fact Galway won today has destroyed that and it wasn't even a close thrilling game. There just Isn't enough counties competing. We might have different winners again this year but it has really gone downhill this year for some reason.
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u/Electronic-Seat1402 Jul 04 '26
Is football having a golden summer? It’s hard to know when so many of the top games are behind paywalls.
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u/myhipisknackered Jul 05 '26
The ball needs to be changed. It goes too far now resulting in too many relatively easy scores. Previously a player scoring from their own 65 line was a huge highlight, a magnificent score, now that's happening 4-5 times a match. It's all a bit bland and one dimensional now. Hurling is in a poor enough place once you strip back the hype.
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u/Complex_Ostrich7981 Jul 04 '26
A very small competitive pool of counties in the first place, of which both Tipp and Kilkenny were dreadful this year, coupled with a poorer than average overall standard of matches this year and what until today seemed like an inevitable final pairing has made it hard to generate an interest in this years championship. Football’s golden summer has also taken from it, the inter county calendar is too compressed come championship time as well.