Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé urge tweaks to All-Ireland SFC format

Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé believe tweaks are needed to the revamped All-Ireland SFC after what the former described as an "uninspiring" season so far.

This year is the first to feature the 16-team group stage with the top team in each advancing directly to the quarter-finals while second and third must negotiate a preliminary quarter-final stage.

A lack of jeopardy in the group stage for many teams has been one criticism of the format and having seen it play out, Whelan said changes need to be looked at.

"I don't disagree with the structure that were brought in. We cried out for it for a long time, we badly needed it," the former Dublin footballer told RTÉ's The Saturday Game.

"The provincials are dead on their feet and still are the elephant in the room. But in terms of the last few weeks and the group basis and three qualifying, it's just taken the life out of it a small bit.

"I definitely think it's something that needs to be looked at at the end of the year. We need to tweak things, put more jeopardy into those group situations, get rid of maybe the preliminary quarter-finals.

"Uninspiring so far" Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé offer their verdict on the current football season and suggest tweaks to the championship structure that should be looked at #RTEGAA #SaturdayGame pic.twitter.com/q5vtKtiFYu

"Have a look at the provincial championships, stuck in the middle is a bit of an eyesore. But that might come further down the line.

"But definitely I would still be for the current structures. We just need to tweak them."

Also speaking on the programme, fellow RTÉ GAA analyst Ó Sé said he agreed with much of what Whelan said and suggested that other changes could be brought in, especially allowing the inter-county season to