Kerry hurling boss feels lower tier sides ignored

Kerry hurling boss Tom Howard has berated GAA chiefs for neglecting hurling’s lower tier competitions.

The Clarecastle native says it is impossible to improve hurling in the weaker counties because teams are afforded too few games.

“We play five league games and four in the Christy Ring Cup and that is a good year where you make the final. You’d like to have a situation where you would have maybe 15 games and have fellas training throughout the summer.”

Kerry face Down in this Saturday’s decider, but Howard argues there is no natural progression for the winner.

“For a team like Kerry to play in the Munster championship should be a real goal, but right now it’s not an option,” he says.

“The gap is too large so we need to have another level to play at for an extended period in order one day to be good enough to take a further step.”

In a week where debate has raged about the widening of the gap between the strong and weak in football, Howard believes it is the same in hurling.

“There is a competition missing between the Christy Ring Cup and the All-Ireland. Hopefully there will be a proper second tier competition in the not too distant future.”

To this regard, summer hurling remains an imperative for the development of the game in counties like Kerry.

“If you are a summer hurler in Kerry you have nowhere to ply your trade at inter-county level. That can’t be good for the promotion of hurling.”

Howard is unimpressed with the coverage the Christy Ring Cup receives in the national media.

“The hurlers of Meath, Down, Kerry etc are, if you like, forgotten about and it is an injustice.”