Minnows' famine now a feast

The opening of the Bank of Ireland Leinster football championship this Sunday will for the first time feature a round-robin section for the so-called weaker counties. So for Wicklow, Longford, Wexford and Carlow it's the guarantee of at least three championship games. That's better than they've all had in recent years but, even still, there are some reservations.

In order to cross the great divide and meet Dublin in Croke Park on June 11th, each county will play three games over the next three consecutive Sundays. If two sides end up level a play-off game will be required. Then after one week's rest, it's straight up against Dublin.

And herein lies the problem. The reason these counties have been labelled "weaker" in the first place is because of their limited panel numbers, and in the more specific case of Wexford, an understrength side due to the hurling interests. The main concern for the counties is whether they'll have the manpower to see them through.

At a press gathering in Dublin yesterday, all four managers of the counties involved sat down to discuss their views on the round-robin matches. And Longford manager Michael McCormack was first to point out the problem.

"We're certainly happy with the round-robin games but I would be concerned about being out for three consecutive Sundays," he said. "Last year we drew with Wexford and played again the following Sunday and even that took its toll. With the possibility of a play-off involved as well, you could be coming out to face Dublin with a lot of injuries.

"It's still better than going into a hat and coming out to face Meath but I feel it's a bit of a rushed job, just finding a winner out of these four teams and throwing them in against Dublin."

Still, hopes in Longford are strong after winning the O'Byrne Cup earlier in the year. Their first game is against Wexford in New Ross. "The form is good but things have changed a bit since the O'Byrne Cup. The ground was heavy then and we were shown up recently in the league game against Laois. That brought us right back down to earth."

Cyril Hughes, the Carlow manager, has an even bigger problem on his hands. The hurling side, with a number of dual players, will start their round-robin phase on Saturday evening. "That's the most unfair thing about it for us," he said. "For a county with the limited resources that we have, for players to line-out on Saturday evening and again on Sunday afternoon will definitely affect our performance in Aughrim.

"I would prefer if it was spread out a little better because injuries will play a big role over the next 20 days. How much remains to be seen but we do welcome the chance of extra games. Through the winter, the carrot of having three games meant that the whole panel and not just the regular 15 players had a shot at getting a Leinster championship match. That has helped."

Wicklow's Moses Coffey agrees with the basis of the format as he sees the county in a transition period at the moment and with a young team. The idea of having three championship matches to look forward to is certainly a good thing but it's still a little too congested for his liking.

"The winners are supposed to have a chance against a fresh Dublin after we've had three or maybe four hard championship matches. We also have small panels so injuries can be a big problem.

"Still, last year we drew Meath in the first round of the championship and I don't think any county wants that. So it's difficult when you have the lads training throughout the winter in the rain and wind and snow, in Wicklow, just for the one match."

And it's a similar scenario in Wexford. Under the previous format, they only only had two championship wins in the last 10 years. "Going out in the first round does nothing to develop football in the country," says manager Ger Halligan. "So the three games will give the players that bit more experience in championship football and certainly help to bring them on."

Wexford's potential at this level is something which Halligan admits is hindered by the strength of hurling in the county. "Colleges here have won All-Ireland football titles but so many of those players are dual players and we do lose a lot of them to hurling. Any bit of success might bring more players to football, but we need all our best players if we're to make any impact but right now hurling does have a big sway who comes out for the football team."

For Carlow, the memories of last year are particularly bitter - their controversial loss to Westmeath ending with the farcical sending-off of six players. "We were extremely disappointed at the time not to get a replay," says Hughes. "But it had no effect in the long run because the players weren't together again for a matter of four months. It was lost in club football and the like and certainly forgotten about now. We haven't spoken about it this year.

"But there is the problem as well in that we get the brunt of experimental rules. Last year it was the new discipline rules at the time and later in the season those same rules don't seem to matter. I think there is a certain disdain within the authorities about how they treat counties like us."

Still, these opening clashes are sure to carry strong interest in the counties involved. Wicklow's meeting in Carlow has two sides coming off similar league form while Wexford will be hoping to reverse their recent championship record when they meet Longford. They drew in the first round in each of the last three years and then lost all three replays.