Brian Carroll: Everything set up to suit Munster elite

Former Offaly hurler Brian Carroll insists the same rules should apply to Munster as they do to Leinster and relegation has to be a factor.

Carroll takes issue with there being no demotion from Munster - Kerry will only replace the bottom team in their native province providing they win the Joe McDonagh Cup and then a relegation/promotion play-off against the bottom team in the Munster SHC group.

“It’s hugely unfair on one team and that’s Kerry,” he says. “Even if they go and win the Joe McDonagh Cup, they’re are not guaranteed to go up to the Munster Championship.

“It seems to be ‘preserve the Munster Championship at all costs’.

“Look, it’s a fantastic competition and we want that. But not all the teams are being treated fairly; not all the teams are equal. ‘Some animals are more equal than others’ to quote the famous (George) Orwell. It’s disappointing that we have a structure where essentially people have climbed the ladder and pulled it up after them.”

Carroll can see Munster teams calling for better conditions. “How long will we persist with this current situation until Munster will want it changed, when they see two of the top teams not progressing to the latter stages of the Championship? I think they’ll rip up the rulebook again when teams start to lose out.

“Last year, Tipperary and Waterford underperformed and I don’t think anyone could really gripe about them being knocked out. But if we have a rip-roaring Munster Championship this year and two of the top teams aren’t through, I don’t think we’ll see the system persist for too much longer. I think it will be tweaked.

“It’s like the National Hurling League, it will be changed when it suits the top teams. We had a brilliant league in 1A and 1B, quarter-final system where teams in 1B still got a chance to play against teams in 1A.

Because of the nature now of the Munster Championship and the games coming thick and fast, we’ve essentially created a warm-up National League for the Munster and Leinster championships.

“That’s hugely disappointing. It’s being done for the wrong reasons. I’d fear that that is the way the Munster and Leinster championship could go over the next couple of years.”

Carroll’s proposal for the All-Ireland SHC involves four groups of four with the top two in each progressing to compete for the Liam MacCarthy Cup. “We’ve 15 teams between Leinster, Munster and Joe McDonagh. I’d add another team to it and go with four groups of four.

“You’d probably have two top teams seeded, two bottom teams and it allows everyone a chance to play three games against some of the top teams out there. And I think the top eight should go to the All-Ireland ‘A’ championship and the next eight should go to the ‘B’ championship. On All-Ireland final day, we should have an ‘A’ All-Ireland and a ‘B’ All-Ireland.

“For the likes of Offaly and Laois, realistically we’re never going to win the All-Ireland under the current guise and a system like that could allow counties an opportunity to play against the top teams but afterwards fall into a competition where they have realistic chances of winning and it keeps it interesting for the duration of the inter-county championship.”

Carroll would retain the provincial championships as preparation for the All-Ireland SHC proper. “I’d actually still play the Munster and Leinster Championships but as a knock-out, back to the old knock-out and play it as your warm-up competition.”