GAELIC GAMES NEWS:GALWAY ARE increasingly likely to give their backing to the new hurling structure that would see them compete in a Leinster-style championship, along with Antrim.

It follows fresh criticism of the current structure that saw Galway exit the championship with last Saturday's qualifier loss to Cork - their first and only defeat of the season.

Galway hurling secretary John Fahy described the scenario as "factually unfair", when the four teams that have progressed to this Sunday's quarter-finals - Clare, Wexford, Waterford and Cork - have all been beaten once already.

Fahy also dismissed the suggestion the Galway manager, Ger Loughnane, was now certain to resign, stating Loughnane had been given a three-year term to begin with - and there was still a year to go.

"The first point to make is that all four teams in Sunday's quarter-finals have one thing in common, in that they've all been beaten once," he said. "Wexford have lost to Kilkenny. Clare, and Cork, have lost to Tipperary. And Waterford have lost to Clare. Galway, on the other, have only been beaten once, and yet are gone.

"If you go back to the motion for this structure that was passed in Kilkenny, and Galway, Antrim and Dublin were all vehemently opposed to it. None of the big movers, or the minnows, supported us. This is not just about Galway whingeing, but it's about the good of hurling. I mean Antrim were handed a criminal hand this year."

Fahy is also a member of the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) currently drawing up proposals for the latest championship structure, which will go before a Special Congress this October.

Chaired by Kilkenny's Ned Quinn, the HDC are looking at several options: leaving the championship as it exists; choosing one of two options whereby fixtures in Munster and Leinster are restructured; and the least likely scenario, the scrapping of all the provincial championships and the introduction of an open draw.

One of the proposals to restructure Munster and Leinster would be to include Galway and Antrim in what could be called a Leinster championship or, alternatively, a Rest of Ireland competition.

"I'm sitting on both sides of the fence here," added Fahy, "but the option of two groups, in a Munster- and a Leinster-style championship, is that's the one I'm very much in favour with. I know the Galway clubs would think differently and would prefer the open-draw format. But we all know that's not going to happen."

Loughnane gave his own backing to such a structure in the aftermath of Saturday's defeat, saying, "The road back for the players may be down to the hurling board and what decision they make. Do they want to go for matches early in the year or are they going to cling to a system of dropping a team in at the end of July and hope to pull off a big display? I'm not saying where they need to be, but they need bigger games earlier in the year."

While Loughnane also hinted his term would Galway was over - given he had promised to bring them to an All-Ireland within two years - there was no definite call on that either: "I don't regret that. It is a failure. I said I'd give it two years to win an All-Ireland - we didn't even win a quarter-final.

"We got nowhere in two years and have the very same problems we had in the league final - only one or two forwards performed - so in any man's language, that's a failure."

But Fahy reiterated Loughnane had a year to go - he was handed a three-year term in September 2006 - and there would be no rush in asking him to commit for another year: "Our next championship match is when, 10 months away? So no, we haven't discussed anything yet. Not with Ger Loughnane or among ourselves.

"But the other thing is Ger Loughnane was appointed for three years. Okay, he came out and said he wanted to deliver within two years, and that was something he felt himself. But as of now it's still his job, absolutely, and it's up to him to make a decision if and when he wants to make an announcement on that."

The GAA have confirmed the Special Congress dealing with the new championship structures will take place on October 4th in Croke Park, along with issues related to the introduction of a new electronic system for player and general membership, disciplinary proposals for games, and further recommendations of the player-burnout task force.

This decision was made at Saturday's Central Council meeting, where it was also agreed the 2009 Annual Congress would take place in Cork on April 17th and 18th, and that in view of the increasing cost of fuel, the maximum rate of travel payment would be increased from 50 to 60 cent per mile from January 1st next.

It was also explained the announcement and rationalisation of decisions of the Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA) were matters totally at the DRA's discretion.