Galway propose round-robin series for minors

The most successful minor hurling county of the past two decades is pushing for a radical overhaul of the grade’s current All-Ireland championship format.

Galway chiefs will table a motion at this weekend’s Congress in Carlow calling for the introduction of a round-robin format, to be run off following the completion of the early rounds of the two provincial championships, thereby ending the practice of Galway and Antrim entering at All-Ireland quarter-final stage.

Under the proposed system, six teams — Galway, Antrim, the two teams defeated in the Leinster quarter-finals and the two teams defeated in the Munster first round play-offs — would make up the round-robin series.

The format would see two groups of three, with the top two teams in either group progressing to a preliminary quarter-final.

The two successful teams here would then meet the Leinster and Munster final runners-up in the All-Ireland quarter-finals proper.

Galway chairman Noel Treacy revealed how officials from the county and All-Ireland-winning minor manager Jeffrey Lynskey had met with the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) on two occasions to thrash out an alternative.

“We are not satisfied with coming in at the quarter-final stage,” said Treacy.

“We believe in order to develop the game, it is important that the traditional counties who are very committed to hurling get as many games as possible.

"Galway, Antrim and others who are constantly competing need sufficient games to justify (a) being in the competition and (b) hopefully improving the standard.

"We met with the HDC and they were anxious to find a format that would ensure Antrim, Galway and the counties beaten early on in Leinster and Munster get at least three games.

"We came away happy that [this proposal] was an honourable compromise.

“We have no desire to be in an All-Ireland semi-final without having earned our right to be there. We want competition for our players. We don’t mind if we are beaten, once we get games. Antrim are in the same boat.”

Treacy said the round-robin games could be played midweek after the conclusion of the Leaving Cert in late June. If passed, Galway officials want the new format put into practice this summer.

“What we are proposing is more inclusive, gives more games, gives more sustainability, more competition and at the end of the day, we feel it will be good for the game of hurling.”

Following a meeting of the Galway board on Monday evening, it was unanimously decided that Galway officials in Carlow will vote against the Central Council motion to abolish the All-Ireland intermediate hurling championship from 2017 onwards.

The Galway intermediates were managed last year by then senior manager Anthony Cunningham and on top of winning the All-Ireland championship, Conor Whelan and Shane Moloney were drafted into the senior set-up off the back of displays with the county intermediates.