The threat of Allianz Hurling League exclusion for a quintet of counties has been lifted after the proposal was instead referred to committee at Saturday's Ard Chomhairle meeting at Croke Park.
That newly formed hurling committee, containing numerous members from counties competing in the lower tiers, will now work with the counties involved.
If the recommendation had passed, any county with fewer than five adult hurling teams would have been left to compete solely in the fifth-tier Lory Meagher Cup – meaning Fermanagh, Cavan, Leitrim, Longford and Louth would have been excluded from league hurling from 2025 onwards.
With no league action, their county seasons would have been reduced from six months to three with the saved spending, along with additional funding, instead aimed at improving hurling development in those counties.
The proposal was met with outrage by the affected counties, with a number of those releasing statements slamming the idea, while several high-profile GAA players also voiced their disapproval on social media and the captains of the Liam MacCarthy teams also signed a joint statement against the proposal.
Speaking during today's coverage of the Leinster club hurling final at Croke Park, Kilkenny's seven-time All-Ireland winner Richie Hogan said the counties in question need more meaningful games, rather than less, in order to progress.
"From a GAA perspective, the focus should be on more investment - not changing things around..."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) December 2, 2023
Our @RTEgaa panel have been discussing with @LawlorDamian the withdrawn proposal to remove smaller counties from the National Hurling League... #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/9S2PEuuknq
"From a GAA perspective, the focus should be on more investment, not changing around how things are done at the moment," Hogan said.
"The inter-county game, at that level, is decent enough as it is. They have their leagues and competitive championships. They have their All-Star nights at the end of the year and they play their games at Croke Park.
"From a competitions point of view, that’s a good mix. They need more clubs, of course they do, but they need investment for those clubs.
"You can’t take away meaningful competitions."
Fermanagh captain Ryan Bogue told RTÉ Sport that it was "a farce" while Leitrim boss Olcan Conway had said: "We can be cut loose; cut adrift. We're expendable."
