Farrell urges review of provincial championships after mauling of Louth
WHO'S WINNING? Dublin manager Dessie Farrell during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Final match between Dublin and Louth at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
Dessie Farrell says the GAA don’t need to be reminded that the provincial championships’ status in the All-Ireland SFC requires a review.
Farrell has previously called for the competitions to be disbanded. Described by Mickey Harte as "a battering", this 21-point final win over Louth brought the average winning margin in this year’s Connacht, Leinster and Munster deciders to over 16 points.
Farrell said: “The GAA won't need me to tell them this, of course. For years I've been banging that particular drum. Look, I get it, it's quite political. Provincial councils have been established a long time and feel that they have a role and a responsibility and that their contribution is important to the GAA.
“While that is definitely the case, I think it's probably time to have a proper review of the competition and see who does this benefit, these big wins, the big discrepancies between teams? Is there a better mixture?
“So, my tune hasn't changed on that in a number of years. This year is slightly different in that we're now going to step into the real competition I think and that's going to be very interesting and very exciting.
“It's hard to accommodate everybody, I get that and I'm sure it's very much on the GAA's and the Central Council's and Congress's own radar in terms of what to do with the provincial competitions. It's something I'm sure they're going to look at.”
Ahead of the Sam Maguire Cup group stage where they will face one Division 1 side in Roscommon and Division 2 Kildare and Division 4 champions Sligo, Farrell is slightly concerned that they may be undercooked.
“It didn’t help that we’ve been playing in Division 2 this year never mind the provincial title. With a Dublin hat on, we’re very conscious of how our season has gone thus far and while today was very pleasing we still have only played Division 2 or Division 4 teams this season thus far. So, there is a big step up in class coming at us fairly quickly.
“We have Roscommon coming at us in two weeks now and they have been wholly impressive all season and have had some really good games under their belts against stiff competition that we have probably yet to face bar two weeks ago against Kildare. That’s going to be a challenge for us and we need to be ready for that.”
Harte hopes the magnitude of this loss doesn’t affect Louth when they face Cork in Navan the weekend after next. “Well, I suppose every other team in the group will be saying we’re the winnable game. So, Cork will be saying we’re the winnable game and that’s understandable. We played them in the league of course but they were missing a few players that day and we got a result.
“Any game you go out to play from here on is not going to be easy because you’re at the tough end of the season now. But, look, it’s experience. These players will learn from the experience. It’s kind of going to be a wee taster of what Division 1 will be like if you’re ever in it.”
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