Babs calls for delay in NHL schedule

BABS KEATING has called for the National Hurling League to be pushed back until after St Patrick’s Day with the competition to conclude in early summer.

Currently the NHL begins in February, shortly after the football, and comes to a conclusion in early May but the former Tipperary player and manager believes there is little appetite for hurling so early in the year.

Weather and pitch conditions were his chief gripes yesterday. He singled out the league fixture between Waterford and Kilkenny in early March which, although a superb game, was played on a day “you wouldn’t put ducks out in”.

Keating also pointed out that the current calendar – which includes an overlap between the end of the club championship and start of the inter-county leagues – is unfair on managers attempting to prepare sides for the year ahead.

“I accept it is a definite distraction having a club team participating in the club championship,” he said in Croke Park yesterday.

“You take Portumna, for instance. They had six or seven players who could not be part of Galway until St Patrick’s Day was over.

“That’s a huge hindrance to Galway. I would like to see the leagues pushed beyond St Patrick’s Day.

“I was looking at the fixtures for next year’s league and I think Galway have their most difficult games before that and we have to think that Portumna will be there again.”

Never one to hold his tongue, Keating was seated right beside GAA president Christy Cooney when he spoke about the league and it’s place in the calendar so it was no surprise when the Cork man was asked to respond to those comments.

“We have to be realistic and practical about how we can fit all our dates into the season,” Cooney said.

“We have to try and fit in club championships games as well because there is a constant view from clubs that they are not being listened to within their counties and there are major gaps in championship programmes.

“It’s to try and get the balance right and suit everybody. Some people would be of the view that we should get the club championship done within the calendar year so there are any number of views there. We have colleges and U21 grades as well, so it is difficult. Our programme is made up for this year and next year but we can look at it in the future, certainly.”

Keating also said that he was in favour of the current system which has eight teams in the top tier of the NHL but criticised a number of counties for not following the example set by Kilkenny and Kerry who have accumulated eight league titles between them this decade.

“I’ll take, for instance, Clare. They made no attempt to participate in the hurling league and I think they paid a price. I believe that Cork’s unfortunate situation cost them any hope of competing in the championship. Waterford won that fantastic game against Kilkenny, but they didn’t pay attention to the league after that and I think it cost them.”

Keating was speaking at the announcement that Allianz has extended it’s sponsorship of the leagues until 2012. By the time that deal is done, the company will have been on board for 20 years.

“Could I thank Allianz for their commitment and their courage in the current economic climate to be so supportive of us as an association. It proves that we are two quality brands and I have no doubt we will continue to go from strength to strength.”

That said, Keating wasn’t the only former manager offering unsolicited advice to the GAA top brass. Sean Boylan was equally quick to suggest ways and means by which the product could be enhanced in the years to come.

“I would love to see a promotion done to get the place packed here with the kids because some of the finals we have had here over the last few years in both football and hurling have been absolutely brilliant and probably not as well attended as they should have been.

“Everybody wants to get to the All-Ireland but some of the finals and semi-finals in the National League have been fantastic matches.”

Jack O’Connor also chimed in. The Kerry manager believes that the use of six substitutes in the 2009 league – introduced along with the experimental rules – worked well and suggested that the same be used in next year’s league and championship.