In my view the demands of inter county and club are no longer compatible. In a few years or so the retirement age will be 28. Regarding a secondary competition I'd question the current appetite for one. Given the aura of the premier competitions it's questionable whether those counties that it would be aimed at would endorse it.
The inter county season must be condensed, I think everyone agrees with that, more games that contribute to the winning prize is probably also common ground.
After that it gets tricky, changing a flawed but financially viable product is risky business for the GAA. If it goes wrong there is no fall back.
For me, the solution must reside in bounding the league and championship together by seeding etc to encourage meaningful games. How one goes about that is another matter entirely!
1) 8 beaten prov sflists play 8 Qual 1 losers in Rd 2 - the 8 Qual Rd 2 losers are the first to be eliminated. 2) Championship continues as usual to crown 4 prov champs - but with all 20 others in Rd 3 (they are 4 prov losing finalists, and 16 Qual winner from Rd 1 or Rd 2). 3) 2 losing prov champs from new 'Champs Rd' enter 12-team Rd 4 - 6 winners join 2 unbearen prov champs in AI QFs. 4) Option - Split 20-team Rd 3 into 8-team TMC QFs (Qual Rd 1 winners, staying in segegated stream) and 12-team Rd 3.
What is wrong with this ? Lopsided provs are retained - but the Race for Sam / AI Chamoionship is balanced without prov relocation !
OK here it goes. If I was in charge of the GAA fixtures committee, the fixtures would run like so:
January - March 17 (Provincial Leagues. - With Provincial league finals on St. Patrick's day) March 17- March 29 League Semi Finals and Finals, as well as under 21 championship Finals.
In this format. each county would play between 8 and 11 regular games, with provincial league semi finals and/or finals. The under 21 Championship would run concurrently and players would play senior or under 21.
April - Mid July. Championship. 8 groups of four. Home and Away. 6 Games per county. Top 2 make the last 16 knockout, group winners have home advantage, All Ireland final would be on Mid July. Every County gets at least 15-18 games, whereas presently it is 9. Greater exposure, especially in the big competitions will I think lead to counties having greater fan bases.
County Leagues should run concurrently with the inter-county season, while Club Championships should start at the latest around the August Bank Holiday weekend if not before for eliminated counties, and run till middle of September, with the All Ireland Club Finals on the October Bank Holiday Weekend. This gives a two month post-season break. It also means club players will play more regularly, as they are not depending on county teams. A rule which the GAA should enforce is that if a player is not starting for a county that weekend, they should be available for club games the previous day.
Paul Geaney has stated on this website that he wants more games and less training. There are few if any players out there who feel differently. One thing about the GAA that annoys me is that amount of secret challenge games county teams play that no-one knows about, or how counties boast that their A vs B games are so competitive etc, etc. This in my view is games promotion suicide. Teams should be out every week, and in the plan outlined, they would have on average two games every three weeks. The GAA have the best games in the world and counties should be playing so often. People complain that if the teams are playing too often, it will reduce the product. I don't think so given the quality of the league in the last ten years.