SAM THING SPECIAL

IS Kieran McGeeney right? Are we being hasty and getting rid of the best football Championship system we've ever had?

- Karl O'KANE

It's been like a one-man crusade with everyone else appearing either unaware, apathetic or supportive about what is to come next year.

No doubt plenty will sleep-walk into April 2026 and wonder where the round robin has gone, and why did the GAA ever get rid of it.

In various interviews over the last few months McGeeney has called the change 'an embarrassment, and 'a money saving exercise, and also said 'leave the bloody thing alone'.

No doubt McGeeney's views will be quickly dismissed in some quarters as self-serving and a natural thing for the Armagh manager to say given that his county won the All-Ireland last year — the second season of the current system.

It’s hard to believe though that 92.8 percent of delegates at GAA Congress back in February voted to get rid of this format.

That certainly feels like group think, given that such an overwhelming majority voted against a system that has provided plenty of thrills and spills over the past three Championships.

One thing is certain.

This current system has really paid out to date this year four months after it was voted out of existence.

Next weekend Dublin and Derry will fight for their Championship lives at Pairc Esler, while Galway try to stay afloat against Armagh.

Incidentally, Armagh, this year, are the first side to be guaranteed top spot in their group with one game to play across a total of 12 groups over three seasons. That's one indicator of the competitiveness of the format.

It seemed to escape the attention of many that last year's All-Ireland finalists, Galway, were one fortunate ball that John Maher flicked off a post and fell into Matthew Tierney's grasp away from exiting the Championship.