JOHN FOGARTY: Rocking of boat to be kept to minimum

The structure of the All-Ireland SHC is up for discussion this Saturday. John Fogarty takes you through all you need to know about the two proposals...

Q. So what are Central Council voting on this Saturday?

A. A few things, such as the new sideline regulations, but for those of a hurling persuasion the only gig in town are the All-Ireland SHC proposals from next year onwards. The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) have both put forward recommendations. The successful one will be formed as a motion to be voted on at Congress in March.

Q. Weren’t they voted on before?

A. Yes, at last month’s Central Council meeting when both proposals received 17 votes apiece. GAA president Liam O’Neill ordered the counties to go back and discuss the papers among themselves before coming back to vote on them again this month. “The unfortunate thing about it is that the championship proposals only matter to the five or six counties,” said O’Neill last week.

Q. So who do they affect most?

A. Under the CCCC proposal, Kerry could return to the Munster SHC in 2015 but face a series of games to qualify. The HDC recommendation calls for the Munster and Leinster championships to be played on a league basis by five teams in each province, every county getting two games at home and away. It’s the “developing counties” in Leinster that will have most interest in this Saturday’s meeting with both proposals calling for qualifying groups in the province.

Q. So what do the CCCC want in 2014?

A. Perhaps the most pertinent line in their proposal is “the CCCC is of the firm view that constant change to our hurling championships is not helpful”. Over three seasons, they want to whittle down the number of counties competing in the Liam MacCarthy Cup from 15 to 13. Next year, they see the Munster SHC being played off as it is with the three Leinster quarter-finals comprising from Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin, Wexford and Offaly, the Leinster champions would retain their bye to the semi-finals, and two from a qualifying group featuring Laois, Antrim, Carlow, Westmeath and London. Next year, a team will be relegated to the Christy Ring Cup from the developing group with the second last team playing the Ring Cup champions for the right to play in the 2015 Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Q. The pros, the cons?

A. The philosophy behind it is for developing counties to win their way up to the upper echelons of competition and a fairer qualifier system (all non-provincial final teams drawn in round one). It also acknowledges the no man’s land between the MacCarthy and Ring cups. With many wholesale changes it’s still possible for counties in both provinces to win an All-Ireland having won just three games.

Q. And what about the HDC’s structure?

A. As mentioned, they want to see more championship games — 12 more than currently played. Qualifier games would be played on a home and away basis. The likes of Clare and Waterford would host Munster championship games. The third-placed team in Munster and Leinster would face a MacCarthy qualifier against one of the five developing Leinster counties. The top team in that group of five would also be elevated to the proper stages of the Leinster SHC the following year.

Q. The pros, the cons?

A. More championship games for county teams crying out for action, a fairer provincial system and expanding the SHC to venues beyond the likes of Thurles and Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Would create summer fixtures congestion, which is a complete no-no for clubs and could lead to dead rubber and one-sided games.

Q. What is the likely outcome?

A. Unlikely to rock the boat and very much in keeping with the fixtures planners’ motion to streamline the championship, the CCCC’s structure should win out on the day.