"If a team is good enough to . so there's no reason why Clare and Wexford can't beat Tipperary and Kilkenny again."

My view is that it was very satisfying to have won an All Ireland under the old system. This year is different in that we don't know what's going to happen, but I'm a supporter of the experiment.

I may have had reservations about the nature of the experiment, but it would have been far worse to do nothing. Over the years, the GAA has got a name for not being open to change. All the structures and bye-laws have left us with all the room for manoeuvre of whales.

Change is necessary and good. Think of all the county boards who said television would destroy the games, and look at what has happened. The opposite. Recognising that, we have to be consistent. Even if this is the wrong change - the open draw would have been better - it's the right thing to do, to show a willingness to change.

One reason to welcome the change is that it gives customers at least one extra game each year. Tomorrow will give supporters an extra big game in Thurles and that's good.

My preference for an open draw is based on the idea that the provincial championships would be played first, before the open draw started. I would give all the northern counties home advantage in the draw for the first five years and establish a tier of counties who would be entitled to home advantage.

My system, I'm sure, has flaws - any system does - but I'm glad to give this one a chance.

It shouldn't be forgotten that these are the halcyon days, a wonderful time for hurling. I grew up in the 1950s and there were great attendances in my youth. My first Leinster final was in 1957, the highest crowd ever, until two weeks ago. Of course, looking back, the crowds were all bigger - and the players better! - but they began to drop in the 1960s and 1970s down to around 30,000 for a Leinster final.

I think Jack Charlton and the soccer team have had an influence on it. During the World Cups, people got used to following a flag and have transferred it to embracing county colours and Gaelic games.

Big games are creating atmosphere that people like and, allied to the televising of the games, it has brought out a whole new support.

The greater the exposure, the better the marketing potential. Even football has got its act together and there have been some good matches this year.

I don't believe there has been a downside for the provincial finals. I was at both the Munster and Leinster finals this month and the passion was extraordinary, electric. There was no question of anybody feeling demeaned.

It's true that we could yet end up with a Kilkenny-Tipperary All-Ireland final, whereas I think the public choice would be Wexford-Clare, but we have to accept it warts-and-all.

If a team is good enough to beat a side once, they should be good enough to keep going. Danoli had to beat the same horses again and again to win his races and I don't think teams can whinge in reverse.

There were no important players missing off either side in the Munster and Leinster finals, so there's no reason why Clare and Wexford can't beat Tipperary and Kilkenny again.

The league was great because it was time someone faced reality in relation to November hurling. People voted with their feet. We can't afford to give customers the game on the GAA's terms; it has to be on the customers' terms.

I know it requires clubs to be more flexible - like in Wexford doing away with the bye-law that championship matches can only be played on a Sunday - but they have to change their attitude in the best interests of the game.