Seán Morandescribes how the failure of the non-seeded counties to achieve a breakthrough has hastened the end of the current hurling qualifiers

Today sees the beginning of the end of the All-Ireland hurling qualifier series. The current system with its emphasis on round-robin groups sending two counties into the expanded All-Ireland quarter-final round will be gone by next year with fewer counties contesting the latter stages of the championship.

Brought in to give weaker counties the opportunity to play a series of summer championship matches and help to produce the top eight teams for the quarter-finals, the format has suffered because of the number of matches it requires to reach a conclusion that most can foresee as soon as they lay eyes on the groups.

There have already been criticisms from Ger Loughnane, manager of Galway, the only elite county

without the rigorous diagnostic of a provincial championship, that the standard is inadequate preparation for All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Former Tipperary manager and Irish Times hurling analyst Nicky English was a member of the Hurling Development Committee that introduced the system. He believes it still has something to offer.

"Ultimately, I think the current system is okay, but it's been let down by a lack of competitiveness among teams 6-12 and the qualifier stages had become entirely predictable. For me the All-Ireland quarter-finals are a good idea and I wasn't in favour of changing so as to allow the Munster and Leinster champions go straight through to the semi-finals. But I understand the Munster perspective on this."

That point of view believed that the Munster championship was suffering because the five counties knew that they would reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals regardless of how they performed and fared in provincial competition.

The recent three-match epic between Limerick and Tipperary would appear to undermine that theory, but the decision was taken at last April's annual congress.

Karl McKeegan lines out tomorrow for Antrim as they try to spring the first surprise of the system now in its third year. An under-strength Clare visit Casement Park and after a year out of senior competition, contesting the Ring rather than MacCarthy Cup, the Ulster champions have a shot at being the first non-seeds to defeat a top-two ranked county in the qualifier groups.

"From an Antrim point of view, it's been a good thing," he says. "We'd been playing in Ulster and getting no competition, going into All-Ireland quarter-finals with just a couple of challenge games played. At least this gives us three games against top-quality opposition.

"The matches fall at the right time of the year. It's one thing to face the likes of Cork in the NHL on heavy pitches in the rain, another to compete on harder ground when counties aren't holding anything back.

"The pace is the real difference," says McKeegan. "In the league teams are trying new players and there's not the same intensity you get this time of the year.

"I was looking at Waterford-Cork the other week and the pace was unreal. We know we're not up to that level just yet, but you want to base yourself on those standards. I'd love to get a good run going. We need that consistency."

Critics of the system point to the big crater the fixtures leave in club programmes at this time of the year and at the lack of success of the counties outside of the top eight.

Even Offaly, regarded as one of the game's effective elite - the top nine counties, haven't managed to turn over a higher-rated team in the two years of this format.

For the remaining three counties - this year Dublin, Laois and Antrim - there's been even less cause for celebration. None have achieved success against any of the top nine.

This weekend things might change, if only on the basis of circumstances afflicting Munster discards Clare and Tipperary. The former are weakened by injury and suspension and the latter are playing for a fourth successive week.

English sees the irony.

"This year I think the system has a chance of working. The way the groups have come about means that the chances are there for a surprise. Antrim and Dublin have shown signs of improvement. Bringing games to home venues is creating the possibility of an upset: Clare going to Casement Park this weekend, Tipp going to Parnell Park next weekend."

For McKeegan the scheduling of home-and-away fixtures is a big promotional benefit for hurling in Ulster as well as a welcome advantage to Antrim.

"It's great for the public and generates more interest. The home matches give Ulster hurling a wee bit more because supporters want to see top teams playing up here. But we need a breakthrough and getting two games at home is great - far better than having to travel away or to neutral venues."

The opportunities to effect that breakthrough are contracting and the countdown starts today.