The debate rages on and while the GAA has no immediate plans to overhaul the current structure, it is difficult to be convinced about the merit of the Qualifiers. It is true that there are more possible contenders than ever before for the All Ireland senior football championship (Kerry, Cork, Tyrone, Derry, Armagh, Mayo, Galway, Dublin, Monaghan, Kildare and perhaps one or two others) but the Qualifiers are hardly the reason for the increase in this pool of possible winners. Inaugurated in 2001 the primary lesson learned in the interim is that the Qualifiers afford the biggest and the best a second opportunity to get things right and contributes little or nothing to the welfare of the weaker footballing sides. The back-door winners number Galway, Tyrone and Kerry, hardly minnows on the football fields and thus not the best type of example we might choose to argue for the retention of the Qualifiers. There can be little or no debate now that the provincial championships have lost much of their lustre and appeal because the second chance has degraded the championship edge once provided by the winner takes all approach. And the introduction of the All Ireland quarter-finals, a direct result of the Qualifier format, has telescoped the real action into the months of August and September. The opening three months of the modern championship are a slow burner, where the minnows are sorted out, beaten early and afforded a second bite that inevitably results in a second defeat. It's perhaps a little hash to describe this period as little more than an elimination process. But the reality of this championship is that the stronger counties disengage the weaker ones and when the odd surprise result is achieved, the back door/trap door remains available to plan your return. I was a strong supporter of the Qualifiers when they were first introduced - the idea of a second game in the championship and the chance to atone for an opening day collapse appealed to a sense of fair play for the effort required during the spring and summer preparation phase. But more and more we are heading towards a 'Super 8' with only the luck of the draw allowing the odd 'also-ran' into this private member's club. The new system was not designed to accomplish this but the history of it suggests it does. The stronger counties enjoyed a position of dominance before the Qualifiers and post their introduction, the status quo remains. There can be little doubt that the provincial series, as currently configured, perpetuates this scenario. An Elite Eight was always likely to emerge, especially if they are kept on opposite sides of the draw. Kerry and Galway have never played in Round 1 of a Qualifier series and only a few years ago the NFL Division 4 teams were removed. We all agreed the removal of eight teams from the 2007 Qualifiers was more than a little unfair and so, it really is a case of the strong getting stronger and the weak being removed. The reality this year is there are only 10 or so teams capable of matching each other in battle for close on an hours football and when you get a match to that stage you always have a chance of winning outright. But some months ago this column warned that the 2009 championships would fail to really spark until the provincial final stages. And to date we have had only a few really exciting games (Kerry v Cork both days, Tyrone versus Armagh) and, if truth be told, only one real shock (Antrim beating Donegal by a single point). The process by which we identify our All Ireland champions each year needs to be re-examined. The Qualifiers helped greatly to find the best team eventually and this is no crime; we want the best team to win it each year and if that team is eliminated at an early stage for whatever reason, it is only correct that they are afforded a second chance. Yes, the weaker teams have enjoyed great days on the Qualifier Road - Fermanagh, Wexford, Sligo, Roscommon and others know that a second chance can mean you end up in an All Ireland quarterfinal. Perhaps another relative unfancied team will emerge this season to capture the imagination but that is hardly enough. It appears to me that the best days of the Qualifiers are in the rear view mirror. Interest by fans is waning and inexplicably, some teams have failed dismally to embrace the concept. How can a team spend nine months preparing for a crucial championship game, lose it and neglect to prepare properly for a second chance six days later? A season saving second chance and they turn their noses up at it? It seems the county boards and the players often believe it is better to get the club championships sorted than head off on the rubber chicken circuit! We have a season from January to late September and though it is a tight fit, by and large we get the club scene squeezed in. But it is the very fractured nature of the club programme that now threatens to derail the Qualifier concept. And I have a sense the club priority has the high moral ground. The real pressure point in this mix is the historical geography of Ireland-our provinces have unequal numbers of counties and so, a level playing field for the conduct of the championships cannot be provided. Four councils run four excellent competitions with their winners enjoying equal status at the end of their journey. But not throughout it; Leinster has, for instance, almost twice the number of teams as in Munster. Some sort of an Open Draw appears the next option but it will be nigh on impossible to get it through. And ironically, though the current format has many imperfections (the provincial champions get neither a second chance or a home fixture for example), it is somewhat ironic that this year's Qualifiers have the potential to be the best yet with so many rated teams in the various bowls. Interesting times indeed. Tweet

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