National Hurling League Preview: As the National League gets under way, operating under yet another new format, Seán Moran offers some alternative options while assessing the prospects of the top 12 teams

Another Allianz National Hurling League and another format: despite the obvious blueprint staring everyone in the face, the size of the NHL's top division continues to outstrip its ability to provide competitive schedules.

An eight-team top section would guarantee that competitiveness and create a genuine demand for inclusion.

The change to this year's competition is small enough in some respects but it reflects the central problem of the 12-county division. It's too big to stand on its own and divided into two sections it's too small.

In the past couple of years this was addressed by splitting each section and making teams play opponents from the other section on a round-robin basis.

In the first year teams carried their points totals into the second phase, which meant that the top sides could be out of sight after one round of games.

Then it was decided to start all second-phase teams at zero but that led to injustice - Offaly were relegated despite having beaten three phase-one opponents.

So this season will see the return of the old quarter-final, knockout system with the top teams in either section proceeding to the semi-finals and the second and third teams cross-playing (second against third) their equivalents in the other section.

Cork manager John Allen was critical of this move at the launch of the leagues, pointing out that it was reducing the number of guaranteed matches from eight to five.

But the Central Games Administration Committee, which controls national fixtures, have pointed out that the reshaping of the league means that only the fourth-placed teams in each section will lose out on extra matches (the bottom teams will play off for relegation places) and that the top three will be guaranteed six matches.

To an extent it's all about counting who's dancing on the head of a pin.

The serious, championship contenders are unlikely to finish outside the league's top six whereas the bottom counties in Division One are mostly happy to concentrate on salvaging their status for the following year.

Because of its more restricted cast list, hurling has generally thrown up a more concrete connection between league and championship.

Football has changed in recent years (not that that is immediately apparent from the current NFL tables) and teams with serious All-Ireland designs are making moves earlier in the year but in a significant way that trend is absent from hurling.

Top teams have been successful in both: Kilkenny number two doubles in the last four years plus last year's feat of combining league and Leinster. The odd year out saw Galway win the league and get annihilated in the summer. That was a major blow to the Connacht county, which in the good years had associated spring success with a heavyweight championship challenge.

But the nature of the championship has changed the league. Last year's introduction of the round-robin qualifiers did for Galway what the league used to - played them into shape for the knockout championship.

Like in football, it pays to stay competitive until late April but unlike in football there is no evidence among the weaker counties that improving yourself in the league enhances your chances later in the year.

Maybe it's because hurling is almost a different game depending on the time of year but being competitive in the league hasn't had a knock-on effect.

For the other counties outside the elite the league has become an illusory experience. Laois are the best example in that they've had some good results in the league in recent years and have comfortably held their position in the extended Division One but in the championship they haven't beaten anyone more exalted than Dublin.

Yet the dangers of being outside Division One are clear to see.

Offaly took the tumble two years ago and although they bounced back immediately the effects on a young team of a season in Division Two were all too evident in the trouncing they received from Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final.

It's another argument in favour of a straight four-division league. At least in that format relegation wouldn't disable a team so badly for the championship and the top division would generate genuine excitement rather than, as at present, sequences of fixtures up to half of which can have little widespread attraction.