Worrying trends to begin championship 2008! I wrote my last article with great encouragement and was very enthusiastic about the forthcoming GAA championships as it is now known. However, I am now not as positive having had to drive the long distance to Belleek in the County of Fermanagh on Saturday evening last where I rested my wary bones for the night, before travelling on to Enniskillen the following morning to cover the live broadcast of the opening round of the Leinster hurling championship between Laois and Offaly . It was my first trip to this side of the country but I must say one that was thoroughly enjoyed by the hospitality in the hotel and later by the excellence of the stewardship of access to Brewster Park - a football venue for Fermanagh and Monaghan. It was a fantastic venue for everyone involved in its development to be immensely proud of - a nice compact ground with one of the best surfaces I have seen. Unfortunately I was not there for RTE to take in the views but to analyse a hurling match that was happening further on down the road in Portlaoise. Let's get things straight here and take in the views of the opposing managers and their admittance that both sides are team building and that they are not contenders for the first Sunday in September. After watching the game, you will now understand why they came out with those statements. It was very poor quality and Offaly were by far the better team and won comfortably by 16 points which on any given day would be regarded as a job well done. But on this occasion it seems clear to me that the gap between the so called weaker teams and stronger teams is getting bigger and bigger. That is not disrespecting the efforts of the players on both sides because I was that foot soldier myself at one stage and it will take time to gather momentum again for both counties. My concern is what the GAA are doing to try and help these counties. What five year plan is in place to regenerate the game? Why can't we have the old days back in Laois and Offaly? Why is the blue print document that was executed in Dublin not in place in these counties? The second match highlighted the success it is having in Dublin. Has football taken over the reigns in these parts of the country? Are there footballers worth their places on the hurling team not interested? And finally, why is their not a Mick O Dwyer type figure at the helm like there was for football? Interest has to be reborn and a new focus and drive be put in place, not by these counties themselves but from the top shelf in Croke Park. It is a major concern of mine that we are struggling in all counties to keep the game alive. The likes of Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Galway will survive by themselves but my question is - in a few years time is that all we are going to be left with? This is the so called greatest game in the world and it is dying on our doorstep - will somebody please take note! Cork v Tipperary This is one of the most eagerly awaited games of the year with the 2008 league champions coming to Cork to play them in their own backyard, a venue that they have not won in for over 70years. Confidence is at an all time high that they are on the road to Croker to collect the silverware. Talk in cork is that this team has maybe gone over the hill, with the need for new blood. There is a worry about whether they have enough scoring forward and is their hunger gone, having won so much already. Let me take you back to November, December and January and the most talked about strike in the country. The stance taken by the players and all those issues were for days like this. It should be a cracker and a game not to miss. Tweet

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