Galway reservations underline tough task that lies ahead

The Hurling Development Committee is set to face a number of stumbling blocks as it attempts to introduce a new structure to the hurling championship. At last night's Galway county convention, hurling secretary Phelim Murphy made significant reference to the problems he envisages in designing a new championship format.

The development committee, headed by former Kilkenny manager Nicky Brennan, is in the difficult process of redesigning the championship to meet universal appeal and is expected to release a blueprint well before the GAA congress next April. In the meantime, speculation is increasing that the back-door system will be dropped in favour of more sweeping changes similar to those introduced in the football championship.

But Murphy's comments make it clear that it will be difficult to find a proposal to please everyone, especially Galway. "In fairness to the committee, it is going to be hard to facilitate us," he said. "We are looking for some sort of system where we get at least two games. And if we lose those two games then we can accept that we aren't going to win the championship.

"It looks like the back-door system is set to go but it's not going to be easy to find a new structure. We've been looking for an open draw in Galway for a couple of years now but I know we don't have a hope. There's no way that Munster or Leinster are going to agree to it."

Murphy was on the committee that introduced the back-door system in 1997, the same committee that moved the league into one calendar year. The league then started on the first Sunday in March. "We played those three months, March, April and May," he said. "And all the counties agreed to that."

But the new league fixtures - which this year start on February 4th and include three games before the end of the month - have baffled Murphy. "It's going to be a disaster financially because no one wants to attend a league game in February," he said.

"But I have no doubt that the new football championship format has a lot to do with it, and hurling is the big loser. It's fine for the Waterfords and Tipperarys because they have their provincial championship so close, but it could leave us without a game for three months."

The hurling committee has yet to sit down with Galway officials to discuss the possibilities for the future but the backdoor system, which allowed the beaten finalists in Leinster and Munster to reenter the championship through the quarter-finals, is almost certain to be dropped. It is also likely that they will restore the pre-Christmas league fixtures.

Among the alternatives that Galway are opposed to is the option of entering the Munster, Ulster or Leinster championships as well as an eight-team championship knock-out containing the Ulster champions and the first three teams beaten in Leinster and Munster.