‘Weaker counties need league action’

By Fintan O’Toole

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

WEAKER hurling counties have reacted strongly to comments from GAA Director General Páraic Duffy questioning the value of the National Hurling League to those competing in the Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups.

Duffy has argued that those counties would be better served by structuring their seasons around the lower-tier championships and that they could significantly cut training costs by adopting such a proposal. But Roscommon county hurling board chairman, Anthony Flaherty and his Longford counterpart Gerry Minnock, both expressed their opposition yesterday to such a proposal being implemented.

Nicky Rackard Cup side Roscommon will compete in Division 3B of the league, while Lory Meagher Cup outfit Longford feature in Division 4.

"I don’t think pulling out of the league is the answer," says Flaherty. "You need to stay in the league, especially in the weaker counties. Players only get to wear their county jerseys so many times during their careers and we don’t want to reduce that. The league is important to development of hurling in Roscommon. Croke Park need to help counties like ourselves.

"I don’t think the winter training ban helps us either. This thing of counties not training over the winter is a charade, everyone knows every county is at it. I think the league should be brought forward earlier myself to before Christmas as it would help out the weaker counties.

"I know there could be problems getting pitches but it’s more games rather than less games we need. The more hurling we get the better, the better chance we have to blood players and improve."

Flaherty did acknowledge Duffy’s assertion about the importance of cutting costs. "Last year we wanted to cut costs but it wasn’t always possible. The biggest expense facing weaker counties is the increased mileage rates. If you have players travelling up and down the country, it can lead to huge costs for county boards.

"In the league over the last few years, our crowds have been down so our payment from Croke Park has been cut considerably. That’s another downfall. Sponsorship is a big problem as well, we’re not in a situation like Dublin where they can get a few million from a sponsor. We’d be lucky to get a couple of thousand."

Minnock concurred with Flaherty’s argument.

"It’s a ridiculous argument to say you’d go into the Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher without league games. You’d be stone dead with no hurling done. If we weren’t playing in the National League, we’d end up going trying to get challenge games in spring to help prepare for the Lory Meagher.

"As regards costs our schedule is good this year as we’ve three home games and two away. Those away ties are against Monaghan and Fermanagh, so we don’t have long distance trips.

"I’d be of the opinion that pulling out of the league would have a detrimental effect on us. It’s hard enough to keep things going as it is. The GAA want every county board to promote hurling but that’s not going to do it by coming out of the league."

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, February 02, 2010