New National Hurling League format

Its coming up national hurling league time and everyone knows i hate the current formats of just about everything and constantly propose change lol.

Im in favour of changing the top league to include Limerick, Antrim, Clare, Westmeath, Carlow and Kerry.

After this year Kerry will be playing Liam McCarthy or Down will but im using Kerry as an Example, we all know you cant prepare to play Kilkenny in the championship by no respect but playing Kildare. This will bring the number of teams to 14 in div1 but one of my biggest changes and areas neglected is the lower divisions, in another thread ive proposed that leagues be developed in Regions such as Donegal, Leitrim and Fermanagh i could here to include Tyrone, motivation to play for the county seems to be low in these counties but maybe the opportunity of playing down in a league game in front of a 1000 plus may be an incentive, i propose 2 tier system including this amalgamation plus another one, Monaghan, Cavan, Louth and Longford, these amalgamated teams will form in to create a new twelve team division two! this will if they improve enough give these counties the opportunity to push for a place in div1 alongside the big boys, a dream for the enthusiast hurling people of the lower weak hurling counties.

Jim what would you make of an idea, puts people on bit more of an even keel and would make the divisions more exciting and easy to market, have play offs at the end of each season.

Im bringing this up as i know certain clubs in tyrone are making good strides also as they are in Lietrim and Fermanagh, the problem is the lack of clubs in these counties but a new combined linking up of the hurling people in these regions could spell a way forward and if eventually one county feels they can go it alone then so be it.

WHat you all think?

I'd go for that two groups of 7 with the top two seeds in each group taken from the new league semi finals or the top 4 of last years division 1.
Rest of the positions done by an open draw.
As regards the regional teams I posted on the other thread they would be good for the promotion of the game but logistics need to taken into account. Also each amalgamation would have to agree to play at least one home game in each county with that county giving out free tickets to all the national schools to help promote the game and also get a crowd, nothing like an annoying kid wanting to go to a game that drags the ole one or ole fella to it.
Another change I have really been thinking about would be scrap the all stars and have a provincial all star team and get them to play each other and you would be re-energising/re-awaking/re-establishing the inter pros (railway cup to ye young ones and Cavan legal eagles) as well.

Couldnt agree more Jim, the whole amalgamation thing would have to be a fair split in terms of equal promotion in all counties and areas, otherwise it would not work, also like the idea of semi finals with two sections and top two seeded.

Wonder will the gaa ever leave their self importance behind and try to actually modernise the games as i two think the all star railway cup could be a brilliant reintroduction alongside this format.

What would people think of a similar championship format? with a knock out and back door system?

Might be the best way to break down the old provincials of course they could still be played but the winners would only gain quarter final status not semis and losing provincial finalists would simply go into the boiling pot of round 1.

Again a lot easier to market, the second tier final could be played in thurles with the minor b final as the warm up with it being only 5 euro in, marketed properly etc, could do something special with it all.