Daly urges radical competition overhaul

THE GAA's Head of Games, Pat Daly has called for a revolutionary restructuring of the All-Ireland Championships and National Leagues, while also calling for Dublin to be represented by four senior teams.

In his Games Development Report, which will be put before Congress next month, Daly calls for Champions League-style All-Irelands in hurling and football with existing provincial boundaries tweaked rather than scrapped and participation for the Sam Maguire restricted to the top 24 teams in the NFL.

The biggest demographic challenge currently facing the GAA, according to Daly, is the need to ensure that the number of team affiliations at senior inter-county level in Dublin reflects the rapidly increasing population.

To cater for that, a new 36-county model would be adopted, with Dublin North, Dublin South and Dublin West joining the current 32 entities and London.

The National League would then be adapted to create four divisions with nine teams in each. Dublin would play in Division One with the North, South and West sides commencing in Division Four.

"The changing demographics in Dublin would be addressed in a meaningful way and the big numbers coming through on foot of the Dublin Games Development Plan would be adequately catered for," reasons Daly.

All teams would play four games at home and four away with the top sides in each division declared winners without recourse to semi-finals or finals.

The top two teams would be promoted and the bottom two relegated, apart from in Division One in the National Hurling League where only one team would be promoted and one relegated.

League standings would also be used to determine the 24 teams that would subsequently compete for the Sam Maguire which, Daly claims, would significantly upgrade the present status of the National Leagues.

The draw could be formatted to avoid Championship pairings - or potential pairings - in the concluding rounds. Flashpoint games could also be scheduled closer to the Championship.

"The system should be such that the National Leagues cannot be demeaned, denigrated or devalued in the way that they have been in recent years," he says.

The championship itself would be organised on a four-group provincial basis. With six teams in each, some counties would inevitably find themselves swapping provinces.

The winner of each group - played on a home and away basis - would qualify directly for the All-Ireland quarter-finals with teams finishing second and third competing in qualifiers for the right to join them.

Those teams that fail to qualify from the group stages would proceed to a new competition called the Iggy Jones Cup. The Tommy Murphy, Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cups would also be played off on a group system, as would the Liam McCarthy.

"The McCarthy Cup would comprise two groups of six, Munster and the Rest of Ireland," he explained. "Each team would play five games - on a home and away basis - with the team topping each group being declared winners and qualifying for the All-Ireland semi final.

"The teams finishing in second and third positions in each group would contest quarter finals. The quarter finals and semi finals would be played at neutral venues - this would involve Croke Park for the semi finals."

Daly also proposes that extra-time be introduced for all hurling and football championship matches with the exception of top tier semi-finals and finals with the deciders themselves being brought forward by two weeks each to help free up more calendar time for the club game.

"All games would be played on predetermined dates," said Daly of his overall plan for changing the GAA's entire competition format and calendar. "Only very limited provision would have to be made for replays and - apart from the restricted period during which the All-Ireland play-offs would take place - officials would be able to plan and provide club players with a regular programme of games."

In his report to Congress, Daly lists a total of 25 benefits his suggestions would have for the Association. For a start, disciplinary sanctions could be imposed on a more even-handed and consistent basis.

The ongoing experimentation with league and championship would be eliminated and a more linear fixture list would reduce player burnout and create an environment where the most advanced sports science would reduce the risk of injuries.

All counties would be guaranteed a minimum number of games and every inter-county player in the country would still have a realistic chance of playing in Croke Park.

"All teams would have good prospects of success in the National Leagues and All Ireland championships," he says. "Any system within which units experience repeated and recurring failure is guaranteed to provide little more than learned helplessness."

Daly's vision goes beyond the basic structure of the Association's flagship competitions with the suggestion that a bonus point be introduced for scoring two or more goals from play.

He also advocates the operation of a limited player draft system, beginning with counties that have not won a senior All-Ireland for 30 years or more, making particular emphasis to the benefits that would accrue for the hurling championship.