RTÉ and the GAA will meet to consider the future of the televised qualifiers draw. This review comes in the wake of widespread leaking of the pairings in advance of the broadcast draw on The Sunday Game. Seán Moran reports.

Dissatisfaction among the GAA hierarchy and RTÉ came to a head on Sunday last when the draw for this weekend's qualifiers leaked so quickly that Dublin player Jason Sherlock was able to inform 70,000 people at Croke Park's closing ceremony for the Special Olympics. This took place at about 8.30 p.m. and to compound the matter, the ceremony was being carried live on 2FM radio.

The pre-emptive release of the draw is causing a major embarrassment to RTÉ, who end up broadcasting the draw as if live when in reality people the length and breadth of the country already know it.

"We had a hard look at this at the beginning of the season," said Michael Lyster, editor of The Sunday Game. "There is a strong view it's causing more trouble than it's worth and we may have to do without it. At least we'll have to take another look to see what can be done."

At present the draw takes place early on a Sunday evening in RTÉ's studios in Montrose. It is held back for a few hours and broadcast after the highlights of the day's matches have been shown. Increasingly the ties have emerged between the draw and broadcast and have frequently been put out on local radio.

The problem will be difficult to resolve. An earlier transmission time would regularly cut across the highlights packages on The Sunday Game, as counties playing will be involved in the draw for the next round.

"There have been three football draws so far," said Michael Lyster. "The first was fine. People stuck to the agreement and kept it to themselves until the RTÉ broadcast. There was no major problem with the second draw but on Sunday it got out to the world and his wife. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out that people are picking up phones and ringing their buddies."

A GAA spokesperson echoed Lyster's sentiments but felt the problem has been steadily getting worse: "We have to take a look at it. The way it's going at the moment seems to be pointless. I think it's fair to say that this has been getting worse."

Those who are privy to the draw are the production staff in RTÉ, the GAA officials and representatives of the sponsors. Print journalists are informed at a midway point between the draw and the broadcast in order to meet newspaper deadlines. On Sunday this took place after 9 p.m in a move designed to increase security.

Running the draw live at about 10.30 p.m. on Sundays would pose two difficulties. Firstly, it would be too late for print deadlines and secondly, GAA president Seán Kelly and GAC chairman Tony O'Keeffe both have to travel to Kerry after the draw.

"You can see the problem," said Lyster, "but you can't (see) the solution as easily."