As the GAA continue to make a number of tweaks to the championship format in Gaelic football, there remains one big obstacle to introducing the radicle changes that many supporters are crying out for.
The provincial championships are a long standing tradition in the GAA, but there is an increasingly compelling argument to be made that they are no longer fit for purpose. The domination of Dublin and Kerry in their respective provinces has all but made those competitions redundant, and while Ulster and Connacht are more competitive, their presence in the calendar makes it difficult to have a more balanced All-Ireland series.
For example, linking the competitions to the new All-Ireland round robin series means that some weaker counties could end up in the Sam Maguire simply due to receiving a soft draw in their own province.
Many suggestions have been made as to how the GAA could approach the matter. Some have suggested removing the provincial championships altogether, although that seems like an unlikely prospect when you consider the influence of the provincial councils in the sport.
GAA: Pat Spillane wants change made to provincial championships
Pat Spillane is someone who has defended the provincial championships on countless occasions down through the years, but even he now feels that something has to give.
Writing in the Sunday World, he summed up the one big change he would make to those events moving forward.
These competitions have become the whipping boys for those opposed to the current Championship format. Listen, I get their arguments. Dublin and Kerry’s dominance of the Leinster and Munster series is beyond a joke.
But I think it is far too simplistic to suggest that getting rid of the provincial series will magic up the perfect Championship...
I have flip-flopped on the provincial championships in recent years being for and against their retention. Right now I believe they should be retained with a couple of tweaks.
They should be played prior to the League with only the provincial winners guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland group stage.
When it comes to the provincial series, we need to be careful what we wish for. They have colour, tradition, local rivalries and still afford the best chance for weaker counties to reach a Championship final and dream big.
Moving the provincial championship to before the league is something that has been suggested by others in the past. This would essentially severe all links between the provincials and All-Ireland series, making them into a pre-season competition.
Such a move would cause quite a debate within GAA circles, although it is clear that something needs to be done in order to maximise the potential of the championship as a whole.
SEE ALSO: David Clifford Extols Virtues Of The Split Season After Another Fossa Win
