GAELIC GAMES:Leinster Council secretary Michael Delaney has defended the decision to play the O'Byrne Cup without the new match regulations introduced for the upcoming National Leagues.
In previous years such new regulations had been tried out in the pre-season competitions in the provinces, but given the uncertainty that still surrounds them on this occasion neither the Leinster Council nor the other provinces were willing to bear the brunt of any early criticism.
Around 30 county managers met the week before Christmas outlining their objections to the regulations - which significantly reduce the number of backroom officials allowed on the sideline - and they agreed to pursue the matter with their county boards.
The next stage of that objection process takes place in Croke Park next Monday when six representative managers will meet officials from the GAA's games department, including head of games Pat Daly.
Under the new regulations, only five officials will be allowed into the pitch enclosure: the manager, the new team "runner", the team doctor, the physio and the county secretary or his designated replacement.
This weekend's opening O'Byrne Cup games went ahead under the old regulations, with many counties having up to a dozen officials on the sideline during the game.
"First of all Central Council agreed on these regulations for the start of the national leagues," explained Delaney. "We did consider adopting them for the O'Byrne Cup but then there was such a fuss kicked up by the managers we decided it would be better not to, especially considering there's still some negotiating going on with the GAA.
"We'd gone ahead and adopted the new regulations two years ago, which of course included the new sinbin rule. They ended up causing all sorts of problems and being thrown out and we were the ones left with egg on our faces."
The six managers were nominated to continue the negotiations, headed by Armagh's Joe Kernan. What they are now proposing is all team selectors are allowed on the sideline, in addition to the five listed. They are also seeking two water-carriers, that managers are allowed to walk the entire sideline as before, and that all team members are allowed warm up together and not just the starting 15.
Delaney also defended the Leinster Council's decision to continue to include third-level colleges in the competition, despite some objection. Athlone IT were heavily beaten by Westmeath on Sunday, although Dublin IT beat Longford to book their quarter-final place against Offaly.
"This is the third year they've been included and we certainly don't have a problem with it. And as long as they want to participate we will accommodate them. This was something that started in Connacht, but the colleges here do seem to have taken to it well, and it hasn't caused too much disagreement either in terms of a player tug-of-war between the county and the college."
John Crofton, manager of Kildare - who lost to Laois on Sunday - went so far as to suggest the competition be scrapped as it interfered with pre-season training.
"As far as we're concerned the counties do want it," said Delaney. "And as long as the calendar year applies it is here to stay. The crowds on Sunday were certainly on a par with previous years. The Wicklow-Carlow game obviously attracted a huge crowd, and naturally the college teams will attract a poorer crowd, but we'd certainly be happy enough with the number of people coming out.
"It's also worth recalling the O'Byrne Cup benefits the players' injury fund and contributes to many club and county players who may have sustained serious injury in recent years," he said.
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