The postponed hurling and football championship draws, which were scheduled to be broadcast live on television last Sunday evening, will not now take place before Sunday week.
The GAA's plans to announce the provincial pairings before a live nationwide audience were thrown into chaos when the management committee of the Central Council rejected Leinster's plans for a new set-up.
Thus, that initiative, which was attempting to ensure more championship games for counties who have consistently struggled under the knockout system, was rejected along with a similar motion recently adopted in Connacht for next summer's football championship.
"Sunday week is the date we are aiming for but that has yet to be finalised. There is very little information beyond that," said a spokesperson at Croke Park yesterday.
While a motion passed at Congress last year paved the way for the implementation of a (vaguely defined) round robin system, the management baulked at the Leinster Council's draft for the hurling competition, which offered teams beaten in the early rounds a back-door route back into the semi-final stage of the competition. Given that the Leinster final also provides the losers with a back-door passage into the All-Ireland quarter-finals, it was felt that the system clashed with the spirit behind the original motion approved at Congress. A spokesperson for RTE said yesterday that they had been aware that there were difficulties with the GAA's attempts to draw up a new championship format. Whether the draw will be televised is an issue for consideration when a date is finalised.
John Prenty, the secretary of the Connacht Council, confirmed that it had been decided at a meeting on Monday evening to revert to the knockout system for next summer. Thus, plans for a Connacht championship which promised a total of three extra games for the so-called `weaker counties' was scrapped.
"We accepted the decision. We knew that there was a possibility that the motion might not go through. The interpretation of the round robin seems to have been the main difficulty and after a debate between the various delegates, it was decided to go with the old system for this year. I would say that we will probably submit a revised motion for approval ahead of next year's championship."
The Munster delegates also opted to return to the open-draw format. The Leinster Council are awaiting guidance from Croke Park as to how they might best revise their motion to gain approval from the management committee. As of yesterday evening, they were still awaiting word.
