Hi °C | Lo °C There are no prizes for guessing what the hottest topic on the programme for the Annual GAA Congress in Sligo will be this weekend. The issue of the payment of eligible expenses to inter-county players will come up for formal ratification.
With the 'Of One Belief' group having declared that it has now " exhausted the GAA system" in terms of fighting the payments, it will be interesting to see just how the delegates from the various counties vote on the motions pertaining to the matter.
Following the Disputes Resolution Authority ruling that the payments of eligible expenses does not infringe Rule 11 which governs the amateur status of the Association, the way would appear to have been cleared for delegates to give the issue the green light.
And while the subject of player payments will ensure heated debate, there are several other motions that will provide delegates with much food for thought.
The Clare motion calling for a shorter All Ireland Championship season is certainly worthy of meaningful debate.
The Clare motion suggests that the All Ireland Hurling Final should be played on the third Sunday of August with the Football final proposed for the first Sunday in September on an annual basis.
It will be argued - and with considerable justification, too - that such a compression of the inter-county Championship would boost club competition at all levels and perhaps nullify the claims that the clubs are the 'poor relations' when it comes to summer football and hurling.
Wicklow will now formally propose the re-introduction of the All Ireland football qualifiers format as it pertained prior to last year when no counties were consigned exclusively to the Tommy Murphy Cup.
