RTE chiefs are to discuss the scheduling of televised championship matches with the GAA in an effort to avoid a repeat of the events which saw TV fans miss the throw in of last Sunday's Munster SHC game. The station was unable to broadcast the opening minutes of the Munster SHC semi-final between Limerick and Waterford after the Leinster SFC quarter-final between Westmeath and Wicklow went to extra-time. In a new departure this year, the GAA has ordered that extra-time be played in games that finish level after 70 minutes up to the provincial semi-final stage, but it clearly caused scheduling difficulties for RTE last Sunday. "It's something we'll probably have to look at," admitted The Sunday Game's producer Paul Byrnes. "This is the first year extra-time has come into action this early in the championship and it's something we're still coming to terms with. We'll need to sit down with the GAA at the end of the year and talk about it. But it will be next year before there could be any change." Byrnes also defended the decision to broadcast the extra-time action from the Leinster football tie, rather than show the start of the Munster hurling game. "RTÉ never ever leave a live match until it's concluded. It'd be madness to stop showing until there has been a conclusion. How would the Wicklow and Westmeath fans have reacted if we stopped showing it? "It was a no-brainer for us. We would have liked if the game would have held off in Thurles until 4.15pm but when that didn't happen, we went there as quickly as possible," he said. Tweet

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