FOGARTY FORUM: Hurling needs to mend fences before tackling league issues
That Cork have sank from a terribly shallow Division 1A has caused ripples, but more so outside the county than within it.
Beyond the boundaries, there is a school of thought that Cork are too big to go down, but not in the Premier League sense of being too good a team. No, as in too powerful a county. As in Frank Murphy can wave a wand and all will be rosy again.
Officials in Cork have undoubtedly worked wonders in the past but to think they have the ability to convince a majority of counties that the league should be changed because of their size and overlooking their failure to win enough games is stretching it considerably.
It might be regarded as a back-handed compliment in a way, although Cork’s opposition to this six-team divisional system was voiced well before they were beaten in the Gaelic Grounds.
Whether it was Cork or Clare who lost on Sunday, the inadequacies of the league were going to remain. Cork being a larger hurling county only sheds more light on the cracks in its foundation.
Their plight is a different matter entirely. A chat with a former Cork hurler yesterday evening exposed that fact. “The National League?” he piped. “You’re looking at the symptoms, not the cause.”
As harsh as it is for any team relegated from Division 1A, Cork’s demotion can be filed alongside other if more serious indicators of decline in the state of hurling in the county, such as just six Munster club final appearances in 25 years and the drying up of talent being supplied by senior clubs at underage inter-county level.
Division 1B is not good for Jimmy Barry-Murphy in what will be his final season in a three-year term, but at the same time it’s not the death knell.
Taking a broader perspective, the absence of Cork from the premier league division in 2014 robs the GAA of a prime promotional area for the opening months of the season.
Supporters of the six-team structure, which links Division 1A and 1B with quarter-finals next year, will highlight Cork can still win Division 1 next year.
Yes, by breezing past Antrim and Laois or fielding experimental teams against them, either way doing those sides as much favour as themselves, Cork at least on paper have a better chance of picking up silverware than Kilkenny, who must face the likes of Galway and Tipperary.
There is inequality right there, but it is superseded by the level of competitive games Cork will miss out on. And apart from a derby against Limerick next spring, just how many fans can be expected to turn up for Division 1B games?
For all the faults in the six-team structure, it is worth pointing out it was the boards of the hurling counties that got themselves into this mess. One of them wanted a five-team group; another insisted on 10.
Had they reached a consensus, others may have listened. Instead their opinions were divided, although they did all point the finger of blame at the football counties.
In his Kilkenny People column earlier this month, former GAA president Nickey Brennan highlighted the deterioration in the relationship between hurling and football counties about the league structure and black card issues.
He wrote: “There was suspicion on the part of the strong hurling counties that the stronger football counties had ultimately decided the format of the current hurling league.”
The vote by some hurling counties against the black card was regarded as a response to that mistrust.
If Limerick are to be successful in convincing enough people that the hurling league needs to be reconstructed fences will have to be mended.
What’s for certain is no competition should change because of one team. As much as this league needs a serious rethink (we prefer a return to the eight-team top flight with the top two into the final and a promotion/relegation play-off between the bottom Division 1 side and top Division 2 team), the ends wouldn’t justify the means.
Cork didn’t like this league prior to it biting them in the backside. They will row in behind Limerick not just because it directly affects them more than other big hurling counties but simply because it’s not right. For them. For everyone. For hurling.
On management’s orders, there was no imbibing among Clare hurlers after Sunday’s win over Cork.
After an epic encounter, they might have been afforded an opportunity to toast the victory with a few jars. Then again, mere survival isn’t something Davy Fitzgerald is keen to celebrate and with no trophy to show for it, what was the point?
The muted reaction in the Clare camp points to the type of philosophy Fitzgerald is attempting to engineer in the county.
The way in which they retained their Division 1A status will have assisted him no end but he will know only too well he has yet to best Waterford since he left them.
April 14 in the Gaelic Grounds may have been a play-off but June 2 in Semple Stadium is a face-off.
For a man who was unfairly criticised as being too familiar with Dublin prior to last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, Joe McQuillan gave a most bizarre decision against them on Sunday.
It didn’t matter in the end as Dublin won comfortably, but Cillian O’Connor had blatantly fouled Johnny Cooper prior to scoring in the second half.
Remarkably, McQuillan, following consultation with a linesman after his view of the tussle appeared to be blocked by Cooper, booked O’Connor for the indiscretion yet allowed his point to stand.
Were there an accumulative yellow card system, Mayo would have every right to appeal the Cavan referee’s cautioning of O’Connor because it conflicted with his awarding of his point.
The incident highlights the weight of duty that is already on referees and is going to get a lot heavier for officials at club and county level next year with the introduction of the black card.
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