Underage structures need urgent rethink

IT’S hard to get my head around the different format of the provincial championships at underage level. All our county teams have been back training since December 8. Offaly’s minor footballers were in a group of four teams where three qualify and the bottom team has the option of a cup. So players are guaranteed a minimum of three games.

We were well beaten in the first match by Kildare but came back and ended up playing six matches.

It was similar in hurling where the players came out of a round-robin to win that first Leinster since 2000.

Go to U20 then and it’s straight knock-out. Where’s the sense in that after all the training and all the expenditure? It’s crazy. Added to the fact that Munster isn’t knock-out at U20.

All of this should be set out by one national committee. Start things a bit earlier, spread the matches out a bit more. Link up with the schools so there are no pressure points.

It’s a no-brainer to me to go back to U18 to bridge the gap because 17 is too young.

Whether it’s U20 or U21 doesn’t matter to me – once you give players a couple of matches at least.

Getting that pathway right is hugely important for the future.