THE PROSPECTS of changing the GAA’s controversial new hurling league structures are believed to be improving because of reservations that have arisen over the validity of last August’s decision to introduce two six-team Division One groups.

Although that decision was taken by a clear majority of Central Council, it triggered a campaign of opposition from the counties most affected – those who would otherwise have made up next season’s Division One under the old format.

Representatives of Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway, Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, Wexford and newly promoted Limerick met with Croke Park officials last week to air their grievances and in an attempt to sort out the controversy, the GAA has fixed an emergency Central Council meeting for next Tuesday.

Delegates will consider two motions – one to maintain the six-team groups but with the addition of quarter- and semi-finals, which is being put forward by the GAA’s Management Committee and the second to revert to last season’s eight-team Divisions One and Two, which is proposed by the eight dissenting counties.

Significantly, it is understood the competing motions may require a simple – rather than a weighted – majority.

Whereas the view up until recently has been that any proposal to change the format accepted just seven weeks ago would have to command the usual two-thirds majority required to overturn a decision already taken, there is now a question mark over the outcome of the August Central Council vote.

It was argued at last week’s meeting that the original proposal should itself have needed a two-thirds majority to be accepted because it was changing a previous Central Council decision from last November, which had sought to introduce semi-finals into the hurling league for 2012.

The decision was subject to congress changing the rules to allow for the additional round. A motion proposing an additional weekend for the league was passed.

Consequently, the argument runs, the format that included semi-finals was accepted last November and any proposal to supersede it should have required a two-thirds majority – the format chosen in August didn’t provide for semi-finals and therefore needed two thirds.

If that position is accepted by Croke Park officials, it means either of the proposals before Central Council next Tuesday would require just a simple majority, as both include semi-finals.

Ironically the controversial format adopted in August – one of three before Central Council – was proposed by the National Coaching and Games Development Committee, which is chaired by Liam O’Neill, the president-elect who takes office next April.

O’Neill is, however, believed to be more interested in seeing the controversy sorted out than pressing the six-team Division One groupings in the teeth of opposition.

It is, however, bizarre that Central Council voted so clearly – between 55 and 60 per cent in favour – to adopt the proposal that within weeks was being contested so vehemently by the top hurling counties, not all of whom opposed it at the time.

The chief complaints concerned loss of revenue with the reduced number of fixtures in six-team – as opposed to eight-team – divisions and also the the case of newly promoted Limerick and Wexford, who would have lost their places in the top division with less box-office opponents.

Meanwhile the All-Ireland winning panels are bound for some exotic destinations this winter as a reward for their success in September.

The Dublin footballers and Sam Maguire depart for the Cayman Islands in the last week of November before moving on to San Diego, whereas hurling champions Kilkenny will be bringing Liam MacCarthy to Cancun, Mexico, for 10 days from January 2nd.

The defeated finalists, Kerry and Tipperary, have yet to make up their minds about team holiday destinations but both are expected to make decisions in the near future. Kerry’s hurlers, who won this year’s Christy Ring Cup, will however be travelling to Thailand next month for a week.

Dublin’s hurlers – who won the county’s first national league in 72 years and reached August’s All-Ireland semi-finals – will be travelling to Las Vegas but their football counterparts, Cork, won’t be travelling anywhere this time having been to South Africa within the past 12 months after winning the 2010 All-Ireland.