Senior Hurling - Club of the Week - How it works.

As suspected when it comes to the County Board’s Club of the week competition which is sponsored by the Championship Sponsors JJ Kavanagh & Sons, there appears to be a little confusion as to how the week’s best team is decided and how the overall club is decided.

As someone that attends a lot of games, all be it none yet this year, I am one of the many people that find it very frustrating when some clubs are playing to have to draw lines through a programme to indicate a player is not playing and to write in the name of the person that takes his place. Down the grades this practice is not bad as teams tend to line out as selected, but at senior level, let’s be honest, it can be crazy. And if you are trying to keep notes and forgot to bring something with you to mark changes, then you are in all sorts of problems unless you have a very good memory.

I for one welcome this competition as if clubs start to get competitive towards it and each try and win the overall prize, then it can only improve the presentation of our games.

To decide the weekly and overall results, different criteria are used.

In each round of games, a team can earn itself 45 points.

Each club is given 20 points just for playing the game.

A bonus 15 points are awarded for presentation. Presentation is regarded as all players wearing standard jerseys togs and socks. However, one point is deducted from the 15 points on offer who does not have proper club gear.

Another five points is awarded to teams that line out as per the programme. If a team does not line out as per the programme, then five points is subtracted from what they have collected up to this point.

When it comes to discipline, two points are deducted for each yellow card collected in a game and five points are deducted if a player collects a red card. (Please don’t ask me if it is nine points if a player is sent off if he received two yellows and a red, I don’t know the answer. For the answer maybe ask a county board official).

At the end of the league section of the competition, for any club that does not collect a red card in their five games, they will be awarded a bonus 20 points.

The result of the game is the final criteria used. Five bonus points are awarded for each win in the league section of the championship and three points are awarded for a draw.

At the end of the League Section of the Championship a trophy will be presented to the winning team and a Travel Voucher from the sponsors JJ Kavanagh & Sons.

At the end of weekend one, in group one De La Salle lead the way, with 43 points, loosing just two points after picking up a booking.

2014 champions were second after round one in group one collecting 37 points, followed by Fourmilewater and Roanmore on 31 points, Abbeyside on 27 points and finally Lismore on 26 points.

In group two, after the first round of games, Ballyduff lead the way with 37 points, 1 point ahead of the club they beat in the opening round of games, Ardmore. Ballygunner were third in group two after the first round of games, collecting 31 points, Mount Sion and Tallow both collected 28 points and Dungarvan were the lowest placed team on 23 points.

Games in round two took place this past weekend and we say plenty of movement.

De La Salle again topped group one, collecting an identical 43 points to the 43 collected in round one. Despite defeat to Roanmore Fourmilewater finished second on 35 points, Passage with their second draw in this years championship collected 32 points and despite their excellent win over Fourmilewater, Roanmore finished in fourth place on 31 points, loosing five points for not lining out per the programme and four for two bookings collected in the game. Lismore finished the weekend with 29 points and in group one, it was Abbeyside that finished bottom of the group this weekend, collecting 28 points.

In group two, Ballygunner and Mount Sion picked up a perfect 45 points this weekend, for winning, for no bookings, for lining out as per the programme and also for all players wearing official club colours.

Dungarvan who finished bottom of the twelve teams last weekend finished third in group two this weekend collecting 33 points, Ballyduff Upper finished with one point lea and Tallow finished bottom overall this weekend collecting 24 points.

De La Salle lead group one after two rounds of games with 86 points from a possible 90. Passage have 69 points, three ahead of Fourmilewater who are the groups third placed team with Abbeyside, Lismore and Roanmore all on 55 points.

In group two, Ballygunner lead the way on 76 points. Mount Sion are second place in group two, three behind their cross city rivals, Ballyduff Upper are third on 69 points, 1 ahead of Ardmore, Dungarvan have 56 points and Tallow are bottom on 52.

The overall table for all 12 clubs regardless of which group they are in reads:

1. De La Salle 86 Points

2. Ballygunner 76 Points

3. Mount Sion 73 Points

4. Ballyduff & Passage 69 Points each

6. Ardmore 68 Points

7. Fourmilewater 66 Points

8. Dungarvan 56 Points

9. Abbeyside, Lismore, Roanmore 55 Points each

12. Tallow 52 Points

Please don’t shoot the messenger if you don’t agree with the way the tables are worked out. I am sure everyone has an idea of what points should and should not be given or taken away for. For what it’s worth, I agree with the way things are worked and say well done to whoever came up with the idea.