Liam Sheedy: Round robin would light up hurling calendar

GAA management committee member Liam Sheedy says there is serious appeal around the possibility of all Liam MacCarthy Cup teams enjoying home games.

It now appears GAA chiefs are prepared to give the green light to a provincial round robin structure based on the hurling development committee’s proposal in 2012 but rejected by Central Council on the advice of the Central Competitions Control Committee.

That recommendation by the group headed by Tommy Lanigan would have seen two five-team provincial competitions, each county playing two home and two away matches, with the top two in each facing off in finals.

The Munster and Leinster winners progress to All-Ireland semi-finals and the runners-up to quarter-finals where they face the victors of the preliminary quarter-final between the third placed teams in Munster and Leinster and the top two in a five-team development group.

Former Tipperary manager Sheedy says the club season has to be prioritised and long gaps faced by provincial winners until All-Ireland semi-finals also must be addressed but loves the prospect of Cusack Park and Dungarvan enjoying championship fare.

“Finding an exact solution is probably where the work has to go in.

“We’re very fortunate in Thurles that you do get to see your county on a regular basis at home. What would it do for the game in Clare to be packing it out there in Ennis or down in Waterford?

“I do think there is something there that you can tap into. To me, it’s about seeing local heroes and the impact it can have on a kid and the impact it had on me as a child.

“If you bring your heroes closer, if you ask me what I’m looking forward to it’s having 25,000 in a sell-out Wexford Park if Wexford and Kilkenny comes through, which we expect it will.”