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.