By Michael Moynihan - Irish Examiner
GAA PRESIDENT Sean Kelly yesterday expressed his "concern" over one-sided NHL matches while pointing out that the Hurling Development Committee's plans for the future were designed to improve standards at all levels of the game.

Wexford demolished Down by 41 points on Saturday, prompting Wexford manager Seamus Murphy to say such games were no good for hurling, while Dublin lost to Kilkenny by 22 points, and Kelly acknowledged that the heavy defeats were worrying.

"It's something that's been happening for some time," said Kelly. "The margin of victory is certainly bigger and though you'd want to know what the likes of Down think about losing games like that before drawing conclusions, there's no doubt that it's a concern.

"That's the kind of issue the hurling development committee are seeking to address in their new plan."

Kelly is keen to point out that the plans for hurling apply to different areas within the sport: the elite inter-county element, developing the second tier of counties and casual participation in hurling.

"You have to have a mixture for the sport. The senior inter-county championship is obviously what people judge the game on, and the more competitive that is, the more counties are involved, the better for the promotion of the sport.

"For instance, Michael Greenan of the Ulster Council has said that at U14 level, at the Feile na nGael, Ulster counties can compete with the traditional hurling counties, but by the time they get to minor level the gap has widened hugely.

"They just don't have that constant exposure to high-level hurling, so their speed and first touch aren't as good."

Kelly welcomed the recent announcement that Kerry club Kilmoyley are to compete in the Cork City Division minor hurling grade.

"There has to be more cross-county interaction like that, because if you're used to a higher standard your skills and your attitude will improve."

While hurling isn't a sport that lends itself automatically to casual games of five-a-side, Kelly and others in Croke Park are trying to think laterally to encourage participation. "You have to have people playing the game.

"In some big-ball games it's easier to close the gap in terms of skill, and a less skilful team can hold a skilful team.

"In hurling, a little extra skill makes a big difference, and if a team has a little extra skill all over the field that can lead to an inordinate difference in scoring. Still, the social and recreational group in Croke Park is looking at hurling as a social game, which would obviously bring benefits in participation."

One disadvantage hurling suffers from is obvious: it costs more to buy two hurleys and a sliotar than it does to buy a football. Kelly acknowledges that funding is needed, but he also points to the need for measurable progress.

"In fairness, we got €1.5m from the Government for hurling and we'll be putting in a similar amount ourselves. The HDC is looking at issues but we're doing it realistically. It's not just a matter of drawing up a plan, the resultant projects are going to be measurable, with set targets."