GAA aren’t interested in small fry

WESTMEATH boss Joe Fortune wonders if the GAA are really interested in developing hurling outside the top tier of counties.

Fortune feels a re-think is necessary, pointing out that Laois, Antrim and Westmeath are all in survival mode, while everyone else in Division 1 is reading themselves for the Championship.

“I remember speaking to Johnny Kelly (Offaly manager) a couple of weeks ago about Division 1 and how we have it aligned,” says Fortune.

“Is there another way we could set it up?

“Could you make the six team groups up to eight and allow teams a couple of years at that level to see if they can really progress?

“At the back of my mind, you know and I know we are thinking about three weeks’ time against Antrim or Laois (probable relegation play-off).

Survival

“All year, while you are looking about performances, it’s about survival too.

“I just wonder, are we really looking at developing the game in these counties if you are up one year and down in the next year?

“In the group we have, could you put in your Offalys, your Kildares, your Kerrys?

“Two groups where you might seed maybe four teams, and get rid of the start of the year stuff (pre-league competitions).

“Maybe have it that the bottom two teams (in the League) play Joe McDonagh.

“For the likes of Limerick, Cork, Galway, Tipp, they know they are safe, getting ready for Championship. “It’s all about that weekend in April that everybody is getting ready for — if you listen to podcasts — but for Antrim, Laois and Westmeath it’s not.

“We are getting ready, really for three weeks. It’s as important for the people of Westmeath to stay in Division 1 as it is to stay in the Liam MacCarthy.

“Am I enjoying Division 1 as a manager?

“Absolutely.

“But whoever goes down from the group it’s very hard to bring them back out of Division 2 straight away.”