'Disaster' looms for Offaly or Limerick

Both the Limerick and Offaly hurling managers have highlighted the drastic consequences of either of them losing Sunday's National League Division One play-off.

Defeat spells automatic relegation to Division Two next year, which Offaly's John McIntyre describes as potentially "disastrous" , while Limerick's Richie Bennis describes the situation as "totally crazy".

While McIntyre and Bennis accept some responsibility for facing the Division One trap door in the first place it's only now they're realising the full consequences of next year's revised hurling league - not too unlike similar puzzlement surrounding the revised football league.

The new nine-team Division One will comprise the top four from this year's Division One A and One B (Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Clare, Kilkenny, Galway, Tipperary and Dublin), to be joined by the Division One play-off winner.

That will see the winner of Sunday's game play off against the Division Two champions, which means even if Offaly and Limerick survive on Sunday they're still not totally safe.

"In some ways this is the most important match on the GAA calendar this weekend," says McIntyre, "because I really believe it is crucial for both teams to preserve their Division One status. Offaly have been making some good progress, with a good win over Waterford in Walsh Park in the last round. So if our reward for all that is to end up in Division Two then of course that will be a real hammer blow, and definitely not in the best interest in Offaly hurling.

"I inherited a team that was coming off Division Two hurling two years ago, and we all saw the repercussions of that against Kilkenny in the Leinster championship (Offaly lost 6-28 to 0-15). We are working hard to restore Offaly's fortunes, have brought in a lot of young hurlers, who are slowly finding their feet, so to end up back in Division Two would be disastrous."

Bennis was equally wary of the drop to Division Two, which he didn't want to even contemplate: "Sure it's a huge game for us," he says, "a must-win. I mean dropping to Division Two would be a disaster. Maybe that sounds like too strong a word, but it definitely wouldn't help. So we've an awful lot to play for, and an awful lot to lose."

Much of their unease, admit both managers, is based on the fact the GAA aren't doing themselves any favours by limiting Division One to nine teams next year, when 10 teams would work better.

"I'd be against the nine-team league 100 per cent," says Bennis, "leaving one team idle every week. It's totally crazy - of course we shouldn't even be in this situation, but we only really became aware of the full consequences after we lost to Dublin.

"And then they go and schedule this game for 12.30, in Nenagh. Sure that's making a complete joke of it. People are always talking about trying to revive hurling but to me this looks like they're trying to bury it. And I don't see why it's too late to look at this thing again."

For McIntyre the revised format is equally frustrating: "What I really can't understand is why they decided on this nine-team Division One, instead of going with a 10-team league. A 10-team league would be more balanced. It would also take exactly the same amount of time to run off, because as it is there'll be one team left idle every week. To me there's no logic in that.

"Maybe the GAA administrators took the decision without appreciating the full implications at the time. Of course we'd still hope to get a result on Sunday, and obviously we are very geared up for it, but so will Limerick. It's going to be a very tough task, made even tougher with all our injury problems. It's critical test, and with so much at stake I expect there will be a real championship edge to it."

One further problem shared by McIntyre and Bennis is their amount of injury concerns. Offaly are already without Gary Hanniffy and Kevin Kelly, who are out of the country, while the lengthy injury list includes Michael Verney (ankle), Joe Bergin and David Kenny (both hamstring), Shane Dooley and Alan Middleton (finger injuries) and James Rigney (concussion).

"We had only 19 fit players able to train with us on Monday," says McIntyre. "I know managers are always inclined to exaggerate these situations but this is definitely a crisis."

Limerick could be without first-choice players Damien Reale, Mark Foley and Peter Lawlor, with a question mark over Stephen Lucey and Brian Begley.