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New Format 2026 All Ireland

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What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3085 - 23/02/2025 21:48:40    2592773

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here."
What's wrong with it? You get rewarded for winning your 1st game by earning a second chance of you lose the next. What's wrong with that?
Even if you lose your 1st game you still have a second chance.
What's Mcgeeney wanting? The chance to lose loads of games and still be in? What's his problem with the set up?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14876 - 24/02/2025 06:38:21    2592815

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Don't think it's a joke. We need to go back to meaningful games, not games for the sake of games. We seem to have brought in this thought that keeping more and more teams in Championship for longer and more games is better. People have voted with their feet on that. Hate the jeopardy word, but well jeopardy.

We somehow managed to compress the inter county season and drag out the Championship simultaneously. No time for Championship build up, get the narrative going for games etc. I think less games with more on them are best, and anything that gets rid of the round robin stuff is better in my book

Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2458 - 24/02/2025 08:42:00    2592822

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here."
The new system was on the table since the middle of last year.
There was little or no debate on it and passed by a large majority.
If McGeeney had a problem with it why wait till it's passed before giving out.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2080 - 24/02/2025 10:02:22    2592834

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It's not a joke. The existing group stage more or less did that anyway with plenty of dead rubbers at the end.

All that's different now is that that top team in the group (2wins) doesn't play the bottom team (2 losses).

That's only 4 games less than before and it's also the 4 games where the biggest disparity was.

Having said that - I'd have preferred the existing format but with only top 2 though and the bottom team in each group relegated.

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 393 - 24/02/2025 10:48:19    2592852

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Replying To Viking66:  "What's wrong with it? You get rewarded for winning your 1st game by earning a second chance of you lose the next. What's wrong with that?
Even if you lose your 1st game you still have a second chance.
What's Mcgeeney wanting? The chance to lose loads of games and still be in? What's his problem with the set up?"
https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/335225

Read through what he said in this article, it's a mess, not saying what's there now is any better,
have a read through the set up for next year and tell me it's not a convoluted mess.

https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/335209

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3085 - 24/02/2025 11:37:26    2592866

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The formats ok but the seeding of provincial finalists is going to mean a very unbalanced draw in the first round. You could have a situation where eg Donegal win the league, lose to Tyrone in an Ulster semi and are in the unseeded part.
On the other side you will get a team like Clare getting to Munster final. So the team that finishes 5th in Division 2, lets say Louth get a draw against Clare, easy win for them and eg Kerry win the Munster final and have to play Donegal at the same time.
As soon as this happens people will be up in arms saying 'How has this been allowed happen, its ridiculous'. Can we do that conversation now? For what its worth my suggestion would be top 8 seeds are provincial winners and next 4 in the league. (TBH id get rid of qualification by provincial final losers due to the lack of depth in Munster and the vagaries of an unseeded draw in Leinster and Connacht)

fromcrossthesea (Cavan) - Posts: 3 - 24/02/2025 11:46:10    2592869

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Replying To brianb:  "It's not a joke. The existing group stage more or less did that anyway with plenty of dead rubbers at the end.

All that's different now is that that top team in the group (2wins) doesn't play the bottom team (2 losses).

That's only 4 games less than before and it's also the 4 games where the biggest disparity was.

Having said that - I'd have preferred the existing format but with only top 2 though and the bottom team in each group relegated."
8 games less than before.

edu (Mayo) - Posts: 90 - 24/02/2025 13:44:44    2592894

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The head honchos of the GAA just seem to be copying everything that the AFL in Australia are doing from the field to the format for our form of football.

Zero benefit now to winning a provincial championship except for local bragging rights.

Just a further step to rendering provincial championships as meaningless, which is the end goal I think

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 132 - 24/02/2025 13:51:48    2592897

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here."
Is there any other reason, other than attendance and TV revenue that they can't just have a last 16 straight knockout to the final? It's not jeopardy if you've a second chance.

On possible plus, might make provincials more competitive as the finalists get a home draw. But Ulster champions should get a bye somewhere. Easily the hardest province to win but not reflected in the All Ireland draw. And an extra week off, at least, to celebrate winning the Anglo-Celt. Do players and coaches not have a say in format changes?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7782 - 24/02/2025 13:54:50    2592898

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "The head honchos of the GAA just seem to be copying everything that the AFL in Australia are doing from the field to the format for our form of football.

Zero benefit now to winning a provincial championship except for local bragging rights.

Just a further step to rendering provincial championships as meaningless, which is the end goal I think"
I'd dearly love to see Wexford win another Leinster in Football. It would be an end in itself! There arent too many alive who remember the last time Id be guessing. Though we did come close this millennium.
Obviously another Football all Ireland is the ultimate target, but it's not really a realistic one for most counties.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14876 - 24/02/2025 14:07:29    2592904

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "The head honchos of the GAA just seem to be copying everything that the AFL in Australia are doing from the field to the format for our form of football.

Zero benefit now to winning a provincial championship except for local bragging rights.

Just a further step to rendering provincial championships as meaningless, which is the end goal I think"
leitrim not doing well lol only joking. the new rules not perfect but nothing wrong trying out change to game that was crap to watch but as always there are people have their own agenda and their defence game was great . The formatting is another issue i dont agree loosing 3 or 4 games and having a chance to still get in the new format if like sigursson cup format not bad.

provincials are outdated bar maybe ulster and Connaught cant have 2 work and not the other two lopsided provincials if you see issue there than it is short sighted.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 595 - 24/02/2025 14:17:00    2592906

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As if the new format the one now i mean currently does devalue ulster anyway , so that nonsense applying to 2026 format is not totally correct.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 595 - 24/02/2025 14:19:38    2592908

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Replying To Loughduff Lad:  "Don't think it's a joke. We need to go back to meaningful games, not games for the sake of games. We seem to have brought in this thought that keeping more and more teams in Championship for longer and more games is better. People have voted with their feet on that. Hate the jeopardy word, but well jeopardy.

We somehow managed to compress the inter county season and drag out the Championship simultaneously. No time for Championship build up, get the narrative going for games etc. I think less games with more on them are best, and anything that gets rid of the round robin stuff is better in my book"
finally a fair summary.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 595 - 24/02/2025 14:20:15    2592909

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here."
Yet you will moan about dublin kerry easy winners in provinvials so which is it?

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 595 - 24/02/2025 14:20:58    2592910

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "What are your thoughts on the new format for the 2026 All Ireland that's been approved by congress this weekend?
I agree with Kieran McGeeney, he said the format is a 'joke' I would phrase it another way but it wouldn't pass scrutiny by the mods on here."
McGeeney was saying it's a joke and embarrassment to have so many different formats in a short space of time and hard to disagree there . Enda McGinley was fairly spot on also last night when he said there should have been a wait and see with the new rules before another new format is brought in.

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 3954 - 24/02/2025 14:25:37    2592912

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Is there any other reason, other than attendance and TV revenue that they can't just have a last 16 straight knockout to the final? It's not jeopardy if you've a second chance.

On possible plus, might make provincials more competitive as the finalists get a home draw. But Ulster champions should get a bye somewhere. Easily the hardest province to win but not reflected in the All Ireland draw. And an extra week off, at least, to celebrate winning the Anglo-Celt. Do players and coaches not have a say in format changes?"
Attendances plummeted the last couple of years though. If you had a last 16 straight knockout to the final, with the games in bigger venues maybe the overall attendance wouldn't be that far down?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14876 - 24/02/2025 15:00:11    2592923

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Its just another convoluted structure to try to make up for the biggest problem - the lopsided provincial championship.
It will last a few years but go again in another 2-3 years.

The final fix is below - when the next generation take over congress

1. Move provincials to start of season
2. Adjust the leagues back to div 1/2 (A&B) model from the 2000's
3. Have 3 divisions in All Ireland (Senior, Intermediate and Junior - just like every club championship)
4. Senior (12 teams), Intermediate (12 teams), Junior (8-10 teams depending on NY/Kilkenny etc)
5. 4 groups of 3 (provincial winners seeded) - top 2 in each group advance - bottom teams into relegation play offs -
6. Intermediate and junior finalists get promoted for following year - relegation play off losers get relegated.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1221 - 24/02/2025 16:52:49    2592955

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Replying To brianb:  "It's not a joke. The existing group stage more or less did that anyway with plenty of dead rubbers at the end.

All that's different now is that that top team in the group (2wins) doesn't play the bottom team (2 losses).

That's only 4 games less than before and it's also the 4 games where the biggest disparity was.

Having said that - I'd have preferred the existing format but with only top 2 though and the bottom team in each group relegated."
Two dead rubbers in two years. Cop on.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 425 - 24/02/2025 16:57:35    2592958

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Unbeaten provincial winners should avoid each other in Round 2A. That way - all unbeaten provincial winners will avoid each other until the All Ireland semi-finals.
Provincial runners up continue to be overly rewarded. Flawed. No sign of that changing any time soon.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8539 - 24/02/2025 17:37:54    2592974

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