John Martin: Vultures already circling

STICK…Ger Cunningham is already taking some abuse

THERE’S only one round of the League over and already the vultures are gathering for a few managers.

Ger Cunningham in Dublin, having been flavour of the month as the Dubs waltzed to the Walsh Cup just a few weeks ago, is now being lambasted for persisting with the same short passing game that saw them unbeaten in five preseason games.

In Laois, Cheddar Plunkett is feeling a bit of heat after his side’s loss to Kerry at O’Moore Park in Division 1B. Common wisdom suggests that the bottom spot in 1B will be occupied by one of these two sides come the end of the campaign, and bookies have adjusted their odds to take account of Kerry’s opening day shot across the Division 1B boughs.

Offaly can’t be ruled out of the relegation battle either which brings an added edge to this week’s battle between them and Laois, and potentially the game between Kerry and Offaly on the final day of the group games could be a winner takes all battle to avoid the relegation play-off against the winners of Division 2A.

And who will top 2A? The first round of games paired the three favourites – Antrim, Carlow and Westmeath – with tricky away ties against Derry, Kildare and London. All three came through away from home but if Antrim boss PJ O’Mullan needed any reminding of just how difficult a division this is to get out of, he need only look at how Sunday’s games panned out.

Kildare led Carlow by 0-10 to 0-4 by the 32nd minute before the Barrowsiders got to grips with the Lillywhites. Under former Limerick ’keeper Joe Quaid, Kildare are always going to be well-organised at the back and difficult to break down, although Antrim would have to expect to beat them at Ballycastle on Sunday if they have any ambitions of promotion.

I have a bet running with a club-mate of mine that Antrim will win four trophies this year. They have one already in the bag but during the first half of Sunday’s game at Celtic Park I was doubting if they would add any silverware to the McGurk Cup, never mind the 2A, Christy Ring and Ulster titles.

The Saffrons looked sluggish in the opening 35 minutes against Derry, but after the restart there was only one team in it. A 1-15 return in the second half underlines their second half dominance but even allowing for the breeze, their first half performance won’t be good enough against Westmeath or Carlow – or indeed the bottom side in Division 1B if Antrim manage to get that far.

Not including challenge games, that was Antrim’s eighth game this year and like a true hurler on the ditch I was questioning whether they were showing signs of fatigue in the opening half – and praising their fitness in the second when they finished much the stronger side. O’Mullan will see his side improve on the harder ground and he has yet to welcome back the Cushendall and Creggan contingent.

Derry manager Jim McLean admitted afterwards that he hadn’t as much work done with his side as he would have liked and his caused isn’t helped by having to travel to Carlow, Kildare and Westmeath in the rest of the campaign. It could be a tough campaign for the Oak Leafers with not much room for error.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath was vocal on that very subject, despite his side’s win over Kilkenny. McGrath and Brian Cody used just one substitute each in their game at Walsh Park on Sunday and McGrath, who managed Waterford to win the league from Division 1B last year, was bemoaning the lack of opportunity to blood new players in Division 1A.

“It’s dog eat dog each week and I don’t actually agree with it. It sounds contradictory to say it, but it’s almost too serious. We have quarter-finals of the Fitzgibbon this week. It’s the same as last week. It looks like you are reaching for excuses. I think if you had 12 teams, divided into two sixes, it would give you more of an opportunity,” said McGrath.

“I think we didn’t use a sub until 63 or 64 minutes. Contrasting with that, some of the games last year, we were able to bring fellas in and blood fellas, but I don’t think it allows for that now. I think that’s not an ideal scenario because it brings pressure and doesn’t allow the team to play maybe as well as it should.”

It’s an issue that’s been raised before and last year Limerick were particularly annoyed that their proposal for league changes wasn’t even looked at by Central Council who decreed that the current format be kept in place until at least 2017.

The current format has been in place since 2012. From memory, there was no great appetite for change from the managers or players in 2011. The issue was that with eight teams in Divisions 1 and 2, there were sometimes a number of dead rubber games being played in the final round of the league as the top two teams went into the final and the bottom side was relegated, leaving some of the other teams with nothing to play for going into the final week of games.

Certainly the new system suits the top counties but stifles the development of other sides who – in the eight-team system – were able to test themselves against better teams as well as play teams at their own level.

The question I would ask is ‘what constitutes a successful league?’ Is it one that ensures that we all have calculators out on the last day to try and work out who is in a quarter-final or who is getting relegated? Or is it a format that allows teams and squads outside the inner circle to develop by providing an opportunity to test themselves against better opposition? I’d suggest the latter.
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