Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Col it off before it’s too late..
Barney: Lake must pour forward but also plug gaps at the back
COLM BONNAR is praying hurling chiefs reconsider their proposals for Championship reform.
The Carlow boss is specifically concerned about the proposed new qualifier group in Leinster, which his side will be part of.
He described that group campaign as ‘limbo’ for competing teams as it’s not part of the Christy Ring Cup yet not fully in the MacCarthy Cup either.
Bonnar reckons it should instead be turned into a cup competition, similar to the Ring Cup that Carlow won this month to propel themselves back into the main Championship and today’s preliminary round against Laois.
Bonnar said: “I still think that whatever happens, if you go into a round robin system you don’t win anything.
“Westmeath have won the current one twice and this year Laois won it but there was no cup.
“Giving players the opportunity to come up to Croke Park and to play in a cup competition is a huge thing.
“That qualifier group is something in the GAA that they’re not too sure what to do with.”
Today’s winners will go into Pot 2 of tomorrow’s draw for the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers.
They will join Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick while Pot 1 will comprise Kilkenny, Offaly, Dublin and Westmeath.