Duffy searches for hurling league row compromise

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy has suggested a compromise could be reached on the hurling league row.

Duffy yesterday confirmed eight counties will put forward a motion at the next Central Council meeting on November 12 to overturn the group’s original decision in August to backa new six-team divisional system devised by the Hurling Development Committee (HDC).

The counties — Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick,Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford — are proposing the league revert to an eight-team divisional structure withsemi-finals.

Kilkenny’s All-Ireland winning captain Brian Hogan slammed the system, saying “guys up in HQ in suits” have come up with “a load of rubbish” despite the decision being made by the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) and backed by county officials.

However, Duffy believes a middle ground can be reached.

Duffy said: “The problem with hurling that everybody accepts is that there are eight, maybe 10, strong teams.

“The next two teams are a problem so they were trying to accommodate sides who would not be competing against the Corks and the Tipperarys or Kilkennys but at a level slightly below that.

“The eight counties wanted to play against each other, so it’s very hard to reconcile those issues.

“I can understand where they’re coming from and at the moment we haven’t found a way of reconciling that. But I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of making some kind of compromise yet.”

To be successful, the eight counties will require two-thirds majoritybacking from Central Council on November 12. Duffy admits thesituation is far from ideal but doesn’t believe it will unduly delay the 2012 master fixtures calendar.

“It’s a wee bit tricky in the sense that... we can work with the football ones (fixtures) for the moment. It (the master fixtures calendar) will probably be out a week after the meeting so I think it can be done but it’s not ideal.”

Also speaking at the launch of the AIB All-Ireland club championships, Kilkenny defender Hogan became the latest inter-county hurler to blast the new league system.

“I don’t think anyone has any coherent idea where they are going as regards the structure. Every couple of years there seems to be chopping and changing. We are going to six teams, going to eight teams going to 12 teams, back to six.

“There is a (playing rules) panel compiled there now with Brian Cody and other guys on it and I think that’s a good idea. The thing of having guys up in HQ in suits coming up with this is a load of rubbish (is wrong).

“The guys who should be making the decisions are the inter-county guys like Brian and other managers who know exactly what’s required and what’s best for the game.”

Hogan is adamant the decision does nothing towards helping improving county teams.

“For the development of teams with young squads like Clare and Offaly with young players looking to get them exposed to good matches it can only benefit them having 12 teams in the first Division 1.”