Revised senior hurling championship on cards

GALWAY clubs must decide over the next week if they are to adopt or reject a new draft proposal for a revised senior hurling championship – which includes an additional two preliminary rounds – and an amended relegation process.

With no team relegated from senior hurling over the last two years, a new structure has now to be put in place to cater for the 22 senior teams. The draft proposal for the new championship was unveiled to delegates and club secretaries last week and these must now go back to the clubs to be discussed before the January 23rd meeting of the Hurling Committee.

If embraced by delegates, the expanded system will see one preliminary game take place before both the first and second rounds proper – before the group stages – and will consequently result in six teams fighting relegation, with just one to be demoted. However, this new structure must be given the green light by the CCCC (County Competitions Control Committee).

“The Hurling Committee will propose the structure to the County Competitions Control Committee to adopt as the CCCC ratifies the structures and regulations of all competitions,” explains Hurling Committee Chairman Joe Byrne. “The only fundamental changes proposed are that there will be two preliminary rounds and a change to relegation, where there will be two groups of three.

“The proposal [regarding relegation] is that the top team in each group will be permitted to compete in the Shield competition while the bottom two teams in each group will play off in relegation semi-finals and final. Of course, we will have to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s to make sure this is not contrary to rule and we will be taking some advice from the CCC on this.”

Indeed, Byrne says it is vital that there are no more loopholes for clubs to exploit to avoid relegation – and the CCC will look to ensure this – but he adds the number of teams plying their trade in the senior rank is not the overriding issue.

“To be honest, my own view on it is that it doesn’t matter if there are 16 or 22 teams as long as we have a competitive competition. So, that (22 teams) is not the issue. There is an issue if we end up with meaningless games but looking at last year’s structure, I thought the senior competition, on a whole, was very competitive.”

In any event, under the new proposal, Killimordaly – who, as intermediate champions go straight into the group stages – and reigning county champions St. Thomas’ will be exempt from the preliminary first round tie, with the two teams to contest this clash drawn from the other 20. The winner of this will go through to the first round proper with the loser going through to the second round, which comprises of the losers from the first round.

The ten winners of the first round proper then go through to the group stages while the ten losers of the first round join the preliminary first round loser in the second round. However, with 11 teams now remaining, a preliminary second round tie must take place, from which the preliminary first round loser is exempt.

The winner of this preliminary goes through to the second round proper while the loser heads for relegation. With 10 teams left, another open draw will see these play-off, with the five winners joining the 10 first round victors and Killimordaly in the group stages . . . making up the 16 teams – four groups of four.

In the group stages, the order of games will be decided as follows. The first round of group games will be an open draw but the second round will see the first round winners in group games playing each other and the losers likewise. In the event of a draw, the process is uncertain. At any rate, this should ensure that there is something to play for in all final round group games, as was not always the case in 2012.

In the knockout stages, the top two teams in each group will contest the quarter-finals, with the championship subsequently carrying out to its natural conclusion. The bottom two teams in each group will compete in the Shield competition.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.