[KK-Bhoy]

From The Irish Independent

Tuesday, 8th July, 2008

FRUSTRATED Antrim manager Sambo McNaughton didn't hold back at the weekend when asked about the variety of experiments he has experienced which are designed to lessen the chasm between the First and Third Worlds of senior hurling.

"We (the GAA) are about to celebrate 125 years, but only seven teams have won an All-Ireland. If it was a f**king business they'd all be sacked," he blasted. "We have 32 departments and only seven of them are working."

His comments came less than 24 hours before fewer than 19,000 fans bothered to pay in to see the Leinster hurling final, primarily because it ended with Kilkenny handing Wexford out a now-annual thrashing to win their 10th title in 11 years.

In two short days, Wexford, Laois and Antrim were beaten by 19, 20 and 21 points respectively in the championship, proving the massive disparity of inter-county hurling standards which seems to be growing every summer.

Which is why, by the end of this month, the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) will present GAA president Nickey Brennan with the most radical set of proposals ever to restructure the senior hurling championship, including an option to have a Champions League style format in both Munster and Leinster.

Radical options are what Brennan has asked for, and he and the GAA director general, Paraic Duffy, are making a key trip themselves next week when they travel to meet the Galway County Board.

Galway have been asked to bring forward their own suggestions and have canvassed their members extensively over the past three months.

"We have had three forums," Galway hurling secretary John Fahy said. "All the club officers were invited to one. Then we had team managements and interested past players to another one and then there was a general meeting, involving all interested parties, in Athenry a few weeks ago."

Fahy stressed that Galway's proposals are being put together and presented not by him, but by the County Board, and he would not comment on them.

Fahy, who is also a member of the HDC, stressed that, despite comments or opinions voiced by particular individuals, Galway have not "formally" received any invitation to join the Leinster championship in the past three years.

The HDC have already put two radical proposals together and are awaiting the feedback from the Galway County Board before they finalise a third, and that may yet be an 'open draw' system.

But, if the GAA really wants to grasp the nettle and produce an ultra-competitive All-Ireland series, what they need is a Champions League style open draw between the top 12 teams.

Problematic

The problem is that this would involve the downgrading of the provincial series.
And what is noticeable in the two HDC proposals to date is that both still retain the provincial championships, even though there is clearly a growing acknowledgement in Leinster that theirs is doing no one, not even Kilkenny, any favours.

But getting rid of the Munster championship, which is regarded as so competitive and sacrosanct in that province, is clearly the road-block to a complete 'open draw'.

The HDC stress that their only guiding principle is to increase the number and competitiveness of hurling championship matches.

"Hurling is clearly way too under-exposed in the summer, when it is the best time for it," HDC chairman Ned Quinn said.

"One of our proposals will not just give counties more games within their province, but also give them two home games each, which will bring hurling championship matches to venues like Wexford Park and Tullamore and Salthill that counties have been denied for years."

And he stressed that their proposals are also designed to ensure that there are no longer the sort of 'dead rubbers' in the championship which are increasingly turning fans off.

This first HDC proposal (see side-bar) suggests Galway playing in Leinster, playing it and Munster as two round-robin competitions, and then letting the Christy Ring Cup feed its two finalists into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

This would also include a further incentive to teams involved in the second-tier competitions - a special 'package' of finance and coaching support to improve their standards locally.

The second HDC option would need both Galway and Antrim to agree to play in a revamped Leinster championship. Both the Leinster and Munster championships would be played on a knock-out basis, but beaten teams would have further games designed to lead into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

As of yet, the HDC has not revealed its third suggestion, but it is expected to be some form of an open draw.

Quinn freely admits that "the present structure, in attempting to eliminate certain problems, has created some others.

"Personally, I would prefer the first option, to bring more games to the counties, give everyone an increased number of games and make sure they are all competitive," he said.

"But that is just my personal view. It is our job in the HDC just to come up with proposals, we will not decide it."

Indeed, a special Congress is expected by the end of the year to decide next year's championship format.

As a member of the HDC, Galway man Fahy admits he would have some different views, but he feels everyone should be guided by non-selfish interests to ensure the long-term future of the game.

"The good of hurling in the country has to be given the same priority as the good of hurling in Galway," he said.

"What might suit Galway might not be palatable to other people but, clearly, even at minor and U-21 level at the moment, there are inequities in the current system and solutions must be found."