Corcoran questions logic behind minor back-door system

A Munster Council member has called for a change to the way the province runs its minor competitions.

On Wednesday night, Kerry qualified for the Munster MFC final as they beat Waterford, having already seen off Clare. This followed a first-round defeat to Cork, who lost to Tipperary on Wednesday and exit the competition after just one defeat.

John Corcoran, chairman of the Munster Third-Level Colleges board, believes the back door creates a disparity.

“My personal choice would be to have things as straight knockout, like they always were,” he said.

“I’m not sure how much of a help it is to have a back door — it’s the middle of May and four teams are out.

“If there is any talk coming from Cork about the system, then people are going to say that it’s just sour grapes. If we had won, that would have been the time to point out what was wrong with the system but the result shouldn’t change the views on it.

“You can’t have a system where it’s ultimately more advantageous to lose a game, though you wouldn’t suggest that players go out to lose.

“To be fair to the Munster Council, they have looked at all the different ways of running it, and felt this was the best way, but is it fair that a team could still win the All-Ireland after losing two games in their own province?”

While acknowledging a return to a straight knockout is unlikely, Corcoran believes there are other solutions.

“I think it would be a help if the semi-final draw wasn’t made until the four teams were known, and then the losers wouldn’t be as sure of the route to the final,” he said.

“As well, I’d have the minor draw the same as the senior, as now there are unlikely to be too many Tipperary fans at the final.”

Kerry manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan agreed that the availability of another chance after a defeat changed the mindset, but he feels that the extra games can help minor players.

“In the game against Cork, you could sense that the real killer instinct wasn’t there,” he said.

“You’ll have something similar in the Munster final, but on the other hand it is giving lads games through the summer and that’s the only way they improve. Some of the lads — for whom it’s their second year minor — will end up playing 13 games, which will bring them on a lot.

“It’s probably a bit lop-sided, but I still like the idea that they’re not out in the first round.”

The current system works well for the most part, according to Munster Council PRO Ed Donnelly.

“In 2003, the minor was run on a league format, and then in the semi-finals, first played fourth and second played third,” he said.

“The following year was the first that it was run the way it still is, so this year is the 10th. Sometimes, you’ll have it working out like this but that’s the luck of the draw, everybody knows what it’s like from the start.

“Until last year, the gap between the semi-final play-off and the semi-final was just three days, so physically having the draws and then arranging everything would have been difficult from an organisational point of view.

“The gap was increased this year, but there isn’t a huge amount of time between the rounds.”