Hurling fans still waiting for season to start

Three results over the weekend severely tarnished the senior hurling championship's competitive reputation for 2006. The lopsided margins of victory Galway enjoyed over Laois (20 points), Antrim over Roscommon (61 points) and Clare over Limerick (17 points) ensured questions about the current three-tier structure continue to burn under the spotlight.

Also, considering the GAA is immersed in a branding war with the professional worlds of soccer and rugby, the televising of the dour Clare versus Limerick encounter was hardly positive advertising.

Although denials of any panic was the line emanating yesterday, it is practically guaranteed that next November's Special Congress will overhaul the current hurling championship format.

Initial rumblings from around the country indicate the qualifier groups will be abandoned for something more along the lines of the football championships backdoor system.

"From the feedback we have received, a number of people have stated if a team is beaten twice they should be out," said GAA head of games Pat Daly - who is also a member of the Hurling Development Committee.

"It shouldn't be possible to be beaten more than once in the championship. A second chance and you are out. After that, players lose heart and spectators lose interest. We've already seen in football that teams who are beaten in the qualifiers don't want to play in the Tommy Murphy Cup. And we want to create an environment where any team in a competition has a realistic chance of winning."

It appears the HDC will recommend the Ring and Rackard Cups (second and third tier competitions) are to be retained, despite a complete restructuring of the Liam MacCarthy Cup format.

"The Antrim v Roscommon result, from what I can establish," continued Daly, "had extenuating circumstances in Roscommon. Maybe they would be more at home in the Nicky Rackard Cup."

Roscommon hurling chairman Brian McDonald confirmed the county would fulfil their remaining group fixtures in the Christy Ring Cup against Down and Meath before adding that last Saturday's 61-point hammering in Casement Park, Belfast, wasn't helped by the absence of 10 regulars due to work, injury and holidays.

Laois against Galway is a more pressing concern, as Laois are supposed to be one of the counties improving under the present structures.

"I suppose the Laois v Galway result (7-18 to 2-13) asks the question why are Laois not that competitive this year, considering their results over the last two years. You have to be realistic here. If you look at a month ago Limerick put Kilkenny to the pin of their collar in the league final, but they just didn't perform against Clare."

However, there were some positive results from the weekend of hurling, with Dublin staying within a score of Offaly in front of a healthy 7,000 spectators at Parnell Park on Saturday evening. And Westmeath remained competitive against Waterford - though that assertion can be argued because of the 14-point margin of victory and also Waterford manager Justin McCarthy's decision to rest star forward Paul Flynn.

Dinny Cahill's difficult first season in charge of an aging Laois panel reached crisis point with the concession of seven goals to Galway.

"Youth is the route I felt was the best for Laois to go down when I came in to do this job," said the Tipperary native yesterday.

"If we all stick together and keep faith with the current set-up it will work. You see we don't have the type of player to replace those who have retired recently so we must focus on developing the younger players.

"Our most disappointing result this season wasn't at senior level, but the under-21s defeat to Wexford, when we lost by a single point.

"Laois have now played one game against Offaly, and lost it, and then lost again on the weekend to Galway - who it must be remembered scored five goals against Kilkenny last year - but if Laois can win their next two games against Westmeath and Waterford they are in an All-Ireland quarter-final."

The HDC - now under the chairmanship of Kilkenny's Ned Quinn - meet next week. Other members include Nicky English, Mick Kinsella, Donie Nealon, John Fahey, Luke Fitzmaurice, Jimmy Darragh, Michael Connolly and Daly. National hurling co-ordinator Paudie Butler is also a member, while Luke Fitzmaurice from Mayo represents the minnow counties and Mary O'Connor is the camogie representative.

As English said in his column in this paper after viewing Limerick's performance on Sunday: "The season requires a competitive Munster hurling final in Thurles next Sunday."