Drubbings highlight the need for change

The time has come, once and for all, to put a stop to the nonsense that is the Meath SHC and SFC in its current format.
To put it bluntly there are teams operating at senior level in both codes that lack quality and all they are doing is lowering the standard of both hurling and football in the county.
I know such a statement will draw the anger of stalwarts who will defend their clubs in the face of such blinding facts and so they should, but I'm just expressing what everyone else is whispering and afraid to come out and say out loud.
There are 12 teams involved in the SHC, but realistically only eight, and maybe even six, can have any ambitions of being competitive. For the rest the main aim is survival and retaining the 'prestige' of being labelled a 'senior club'.
Cut the nonsense and reduce the Meath SHC to eight teams. Introduce a Senior B competition for the other four teams and include the top four in the IHC in it (there is also a big gap between the top sides in the IHC and the also rans), with the two finalists in the Senior B still getting to play for the Jubilee Cup by entering that race at the quarter-final stage.
There will always be the odd anomaly of a result in the SHC which the optimists will point to and say that's the reason why the minnows should be allowed stay in the SHC, but recent results are making a mockery of the Meath senior hurling championship.
Kiltale's 8-16 to 0-10 annihilation of Blackhall Gaels and Killyon's 8-34 to 0-11 drubbing of Dunderry underlines my point.
Dunderry's big game was their opening round contest with Boardsmill on the first weekend in June.
In all likelihood the winner of that game knew they were going to be safe and when Dunderry won, that was their year's ambitions achieved.
Their management and players will disagree and tell you that they are still working hard to pick up victories, but the reality is they were short 12 players for a variety of reasons for the loss to Killyon because the seriousness of the game didn't seem important.
Some of the clubs would feel aggrieved to have to drop to the SHC B, but if they were good enough they could bounce straight back.
Two groups of four featuring Kiltale, Killyon, Kilmessan, Kildalkey, Trim, Dunboyne, Longwood and Ratoath (last year's IHC champions) would lead to a very exciting championship. Top teams in each group go straight into the semi-finals, second placed go to quarters where they are joined by the two SHC B finalists and the bottom team in each group regraded to SHC B and replaced by the SHC B finalists.
The same could apply to the SFC. There are 18 teams in the hunt for the Keegan Cup, or is there?
Realistically only eight or 10 of those teams have any serious ambitions of claiming the old trophy and the rest are just making up the numbers.
The fact that you can lose two games in the SFC or in Simonstown's case last year, not win any of your first three group games, and still be crowned champions is ridiculous.
As a proud footballing county we have lost the fear of losing and that is reflected at inter-county level.
The safety net of a second or even third chance is taking huge chunks of intensity out of the SFC.
If teams knew their championship season rested on one chance and one chance alone there would be a huge increase in quality and intensity - both of which would undoubtedly boost the county teams.
The SFC could be reduced to 12 teams, three groups of four. The six teams that would drop from the SFC would join the top six in the IFC to form a Senior B.
The top two in the three groups in the SFC would be joined by the two SFC B finalists to complete the last eight. There is no room for complacancy in the championships then, any more than one off day and you're out.
Something has to be done to improve the quality of our club championships. We have another five rounds of SFC, IFC and JFC to endure before we get down to the nitty gritty of the action, until then some clubs will be happy to just survive, while others know they still have another three months before they have to peak.
For the sake of Meath football and hurling, please make the changes.