The GAA is open to structural changes in the championships and has asked for suggestions about how to make provincial football more competitive, says president Aogán O Fearghail.
Heavy defeats for Waterford, beaten by 22 points by Tipperary, and Longford, beaten by 27 by Dublin, last weekend have reignited debate about the equity of the provincial championships.
"I find within the country the attachment to the provincial structures is strong,” Ó Fearghail told RTÉ Sport.
“It’s a dream that in Leitrim you can win a Connacht Championship.
“At the last Central Council meeting I asked counties if they have ideas on formats for change to submit them to us.
“I don’t live in a bunker in Páirc an Chrócaigh, I travel around the country.
“Counties, in general, tell me they like the provincial championship.
“They want to play in it but some of the counties feel that having being beaten in their provincial championships, they may be better to enter a second-tier competition.
“I would agree with that and I think it’s something now that we have to strongly look at.
“If you are a Division 4 team, for example in football, and you lose the first round in your province, perhaps the time is now to say, ‘Well, why go into the qualifiers? Why not go into a separate competition and compete with other counties from Division 4'.
“But there should be a route back into Sam Maguire. That’s what we are currently looking at.
“So we’re all the time looking at improving things for counties but we have to be honest - the provincial structure is the major structure. It’s served us well for 130 years. The local loyalties are there."
“I don’t live in a bunker in Páirc an Chrócaigh, I travel around the country"
Dublin totally outclassed Longford on Sunday and are once again heavy favourites to win their tenth provincial title in 11 years.
But the Cavan man said it was important that the Dubs are not held back and that it is up to other counties to get up to a certain standard from where they can challenge for silverware.
“That Dublin are where they are is wonderful,” he said at the Lenovo Skills launch in Croke Park .
“We have to be very cautious that we don’t do anything that would damage what Dublin are doing – they’re excellent.
“The onus and responsibility is on the other counties, and many of these counties in Leinster have very big resources, big populations, lots of clubs so the onus is on them.
"I believe they are working hard to increase and better their coaching structures.
“That’s where the responsibility lies - it’s through hard work and development at club level that you get your county up to be able to challenge the very best, and that takes time but it needs to be understood.
“I have no doubt that the Leinster Council are examining their structures and that’s not a bad thing.
“Counties in Leinster generally have slipped back a little bit and I think that’s what has happened as much as Dublin have gone ahead.
"That needs to be certainly carefully looked at and focused on, but it has to be focused on within the individual counties, and they do need to improve their own standards.”
In late 2013, the Football Review Committee proposed structural changes but their recommendations were not considered at Congress.
The question is whether change will happen now?
RTÉ analyst Kevin McStay has come up with a format for an alternative championship which would see 24 teams involved in the race for provincial and All-Ireland honours and eight teams taking part in a junior championship. There is scope in the latter to make the step up to the senior competition.
"Nobody seems to want to stand up and say enough is enough" - Kevin McStay
However, McStay is not convinced that there is real appetite out there for change.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "The status quo seems to suit everybody and then we move on. Real leadership is needed at a national level.
"Professional officials would need to present papers to Central Council, the President and all the volunteers. The aim would be to got a consensus and see what the best options are.There seems to be such a reluctance to have that conversation.
"Nobody seems to want to stand up and say enough is enough. Lower-ranked teams are just not developing and are going backwards.
"How do teams like Longford and Waterford face into training now for the upcoming qualifiers? With great difficulty I would have to say."
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