Delaney calls for fair trial

Leinster secretary Michael Delaney has called for the experimental disciplinary rules in football and hurling to be given a fair trial. In his report to the weekend's annual convention, he also criticises the decision to abandon the sin bin experiment, which was dropped last month, and states his reservations about the amended yellow card provisions.

"I was saddened that the initial proposals were altered, because I felt that players, mentors, referees and the public were just about coming to terms with them. However, what's done is done, and we now have - to me at least - a much more draconian measure in place. I just hope this gets a fair trial and that our legislators will not be over-influenced by the bleating of losing managers."

He also expresses concern about the hurling championship structures that take effect this summer.

"This is an incredibly important year for the hurling championship. A new format deserves a fair trial. I have little doubt but that teams in Tier I (ie, the championship proper) will be going all out from the start and I think we could have an exciting summer and autumn ahead.

"It is Tiers II and III in the hurling championship which worry me. Maybe it's just me, but I get a feeling of under-whelming excitement in these counties. There appears to be more concern about how these games will impact on club football fixtures rather than their teams being in Croke Park on August 14th (Christy Ring Cup final) or August 21st (Nicky Rackard Cup final).

"For too long, I have been a harbinger of doom where hurling is concerned in these Tier II and Tier III counties. Now many of them have arrived at the Last Chance Saloon. This summer's exploits will tell us much about how well the generous hurling grants of the last decade have been spent and about how lofty are the ambitions of these counties in hurling terms. Quite honestly, I would love to be made eat my words of negative criticism of recent years."

Meanwhile, Ken McGrath is touch and go for Waterford's championship opener against Cork on May 22nd. The All Star was yesterday confirmed with a broken collarbone. "It could keep him out for two or three weeks; it depends on how it heals up," said Waterford manager Justin McCarthy. "It's a doubly troublesome injury," he said, "because there's the contact and also the swinging of the hurley - a hurling side and a physical side."

There was better news for Armagh's Tony McEntee who was stretchered off at the end of Crossmaglen's All-Ireland club semi-final. At the time it was feared that he had fractured an ankle.

"There's no break," said Armagh manager Joe Kernan.

"It's ligament trouble. The physio's iced it and won't be able to make a call on it for a couple of days. Tony's a paramedic, so he had an inkling himself and feared the worst. Fortunately it's not quite as bad.

"We were lucky that Gerry McEntee (the former Meath All-Ireland winner, surgeon and namesake of the player) was right there on the spot and arranged for Tony to get over to the Mater. On behalf of the club, I'd like to thank him."