Dublin County Board secretary John Costello yesterday expressed his delight that the proposal to introduce an experimental backdoor system for the early rounds of the Leinster hurling championship had been unanimously approved by the county delegates.

The two-year revision of the knockout system offers an alternative route to teams eliminated in the first round.

"That it received the support of all the counties was particularly pleasing and was an acknowledgment of the difficulties counties such as Dublin and Laois - I don't think they'd object to being included in this bracket - have faced each year at championship level," said Costello.

"This initiative won't have any radical effect on the championship but at least it gives players from the weaker counties the opportunity to look forward to anything up to three championship matches in a season," he said.

Under the temporary system, Kilkenny will next year receive a bye to the semi-final while Laois, Offaly, Wexford and Dublin will compete in the quarter-final games. The winners of those ties will play each other in the semi-final while the losers will meet each other for the right to advance to the semi-final against Kilkenny.

The Dublin motion was drafted in response to a call made by the Leinster Council for suggestions to change the knockout format which was having a debilitating effect on counties unable to break the stranglehold of the "big three" - Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford.

Costello said: "Last year Dublin were knocked out in their first championship game by Wexford when they lost by a point. The team was gone by June. With the exception of 1997 when we defeated Westmeath, that has been the story throughout the decade. So it was possible for a Dublin player to compete for 10 years and finish with as many games.

"It was demoralising for the players and difficult to make them see why they should put the effort in. This system gives them something real to play for." Dublin had composed five possible proposals for the Leinster Council to consider including a round robin format, which was rejected on the grounds that the provincial hurling championship essentially involves just five teams and due to the fact that the current League calendar could make for fixtures congestion.

"While the back-door system as it was originally devised was a success, it was still only of real benefit to the strong counties, to those that made it to a provincial final. This gives teams a chance in the earlier rounds and it can only be beneficial to their development," said Costello.

The system will run for two years before it comes under review and goes ahead with the full support of all counties.

"Our own county board examined this and decided to vote for it," said Wexford secretary Michael Kinsella yesterday.

"It is a positive development and anyone will tell you that championship games are worth 10 challenge matches. We all know that it's only a matter of time before the so-called weaker counties have their day in the championship. The gap is quite slim now and the championship is becoming more competitive.

Meanwhile, a short list of three candidates has been drawn up as the Wexford County Board seek to appoint a successor to Rory Kinsella as hurling manager.

Breda Flood, a member of the task committee established to secure a replacement, said yesterday the list includes candidates from within the county and from beyond the borders.

"We have been taking a lot of time with this because obviously we are keen to ensure that it is done right. Management is almost like a life sentence now and we need to find a person in a position to give the commitment needed." she said. Wexford are entering a transition period having gently declined as a force since winning the McCarthy Cup in 1996. The county board hope to be able to name the new manager within the next fortnight.

Liam McHale (34) will make his first venture into team management when he joins Mayo under-21 manager Kevin McStay as a selector. McHale, who replaces John Cosgrove, will team up with the manager and Seamus Gallagher from Claremorris as the new management team.