Controversial sliothar could be used again in 2004

THE new hurling ball, which caused so much controversy this year, could be in use for the 2004 championship unless a standardised sliothar can be manufactured in time.

The Association's director general Liam Mulvihill admitted this in his Croke Park briefing yesterday, where he also revealed that the stadium surface would shortly be examined in response to complaints about it being hard.

Acknowledging that use of the new sliothar had proved controversial in games played in the stadium, Mulvihill did not rule out the fact that the hard surface was a key factor in the exceptional bounce off the ball.

The Hurling Development Committee is in discussions with technical advisors about defining the "exact core" that should be allowed in a sliothar. This information will then be given to all the sliothar manufacturers in an effort to standardise production.

"In the event that the core hasn't been defined and the manufacturers haven't had time to conform, we'll have to take a decision to see what we can do in the championship whether the sliothar which caused the controversy this year will be allowed or not," he said.

Mulvihill said that extensive research by the GAA has shown a lack of uniformity in the cores of sliothars.

"We found all sorts of objects put in to give them buoyancy and one thing or another.

"Obviously, there was a feeling on the part of manufacturers that the livelier they could make them the more they would sell.

"The general perception is that this has gone too far. That is why we have to regulate, he said.

In relation to complaints about the "hardness" of the Croke Park surface, Mulvihill said that the grounds expert responsible for laying the pitch surface is coming over from England to discuss the concerns of a number of players and team managers before the end of the month.