“The game is evolving.”
Few have benefited more from the current championship structure than Brian Howard and his Dublin teammates.
They have proven time and time again, to be the dominant force in the country, winning an incredible six All-Ireland’s in a row before finally losing a championship game.
You could almost forgive them for not wanting any change to the current format, why would they want to risk changing something that has proved so successful for them?
However, to his credit, Brian Howard is in favour of Proposal B, particularly the idea behind playing more games and having less training sessions.
“To be honest, I haven’t looked too much into it. As players, the most important thing for us is to play as many games as possible.
“Ask any player and they’ll tell you they prefer games to training sessions. Anytime you get to put on the jersey, regardless of the game, it’s a huge honour to go out and represent Dublin.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. The more opportunities to put on that blue jersey, the better. It’s a decision for other parties to make.
“But for me, those competitive games, those away games, they’re the games that you get really pumped up for, whether it’s championship or League.
“There was a lot of speculation about the Super 8s when it came out, but I really enjoyed it. I’m just going to let the relevant parties decide. Hopefully it works out for the better.
“At the end of the day, it’s the players that are playing, but their opinions are valued and taken on board. It’s up to the relevant parties to make the decision, based on a couple of factors, but I’d say players and management would be at the forefront of that decision.”
One of the main concerns with Proposal B, is that it could potentially undermine the provincial championships. However, when asked if he thought Leinster would be treated with any less respect, he was adamant in his reply.
“No. The Leinster championship is a huge part of Gaelic football, as are all provincial championships.
“You look at Kildare with the new management, they’ll be hoping to be more competitive now as will Meath so I think over the next few years, I think it will be very competitive.
“Regardless of when it’s played, I still feel it will have the same value that the Leinster championship commands and deserves.
“It’s never happened before, the championship being played in February, but the game is evolving, with new rules or whatever, but any time Dublin play Meath, it will get the blood going, whether that’s in the summer or the winter.”
