Laois county board chairman Gerry Kavanagh has criticised the proposed provincial qualifier group for the All-Ireland senior hurling championship.

If passed, the new format would see Antrim, Carlow, Kerry, Laois and Westmeath play one another in a round-robin format with the winners advancing to an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against the third-placed team from either Munster or Leinster.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner this week, Mr Kavanagh stated that the current structure is beneficial to counties like Laois.

"As the proposals stand, they are not very palatable towards Laois or the rest of the developing counties," the O'Moore County chairman said.

"Our main issue is that we are being asked to hurl in a… I don't know could you even call it a competition. We've nothing to hurl for, under the new proposals. Whoever wins the proposed provincial qualifier group gets to hurl in Leinster the following year.

"There is not an awful lot in that, there's not an awful lot to motivate lads. Players like to win trophies and hurl in a meaningful competition. You are playing for something which you will only see the benefits of 12 months later and that's only if you're lucky enough to top this group that is being mooted.

"My view is the current structure serves us better than what is being tabled. I'd leave it the way it is. While the Leinster round-robin is not perfect, it gives us meaningful hurling, competitive hurling. I don't see that much wrong with it. We are trying to push our standards closer to that of the elite counties.

"These new proposals will hinder our efforts."

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