Replying To StoreysTash: "The problem is too many players are playing Fitzgibbon/Club/County, and in many counties its hurling and football for club. The only real way around this is for players to play for 1 or 2 of these max. Otherwise, we have the calendar we have and nothing can be done about it. When I started hurling, April was "club month". It was not ideal because you had no idea when you would play next but maybe its time to reduce the league and make something like April/June/August "club windows", while May/July/September/October are "county windows"? In all but a max of 8 counties, October would be club window as well. I have not thought this through fully but at present, clubs in America are winning most with Tipp/Kilkenny/Wexford/Waterford out of the championship."
I would have thought that the best option for Hurling is keeping developing counties and those "tier 1" counties who are off the pace - in the championship as long as possible.
I mentioned elsewhere that there are only 10/11 counties that should be in the Senior All Ireland club championship also
March - League starts April - League finished
May - Knock out provincials in MAy
June - round robin all ireland July - All ireland semi and finals
August, September & October - club championships November & December - provincial club A & B Jan & Feb - All ireland club