Antrim boss wants revised hurling championship

Antrim hurling manager Terence 'Sambo' McNaughton has called on GAA chiefs to look at creating a second-tier championship for counties that are not good enough to win the Liam McCarthy Cup but who are too strong to compete in the Christy Ring Cup.

"There's a middle tier of teams who aren't going to compete for the Liam McCarthy and they are too good for the Christy Ring Cup too," McNaughton admitted.

"Dublin, Laois, Wexford, Offaly and Antrim aren't going to win All-Ireland titles at present.

"There's a group of six or seven counties including Down and Derry also that are trying to do their best but they aren't good enough for the top flight.

"There's no second-tier competition in the GAA – you have Division 1 which is Liam McCarthy and Division 3 which is the Christy Ring Cup. You have this group of players in between that are kind of caught in a no man's land."

'Sambo' believes there are valid reasons for the GAA to create a competition for counties of a similar standard to Antrim.

"Maybe the winners of that competition should go on to the All-Ireland quarter-finals proper, or the two finalists – something like that.

"Being realistic about it we aren't looking for a passage to the All-Ireland semi-final. We are looking to play at a level that we can compete at," he said.

The Saffrons supremo also silenced his side's critics for not understanding the effort, dedication and preparation which his county's hurlers are putting in at present, despite their 20-point drubbing at the hands of Kilkenny in their final league game yesterday.

"We know we aren't going to win the Liam McCarthy Cup but we aren't going to give up either," McNaughton added.

Kilkenny's full-forward line may have scored 3-08 of their final tally against Antrim but McNaughton was keen to stress that this is a young Saffrons side who are building with every game.

And he slammed former Kilkenny player Charlie Carter who criticised Antrim hurling in his newspaper column at the weekend.

"There were eleven Under-21s playing out there for us (today). It's okay for the likes of Charlie Carter and these people coming out and saying we have to prove ourselves.

"Charlie doesn't know what it's like to coach in Antrim. Every time you want to play an away game nobody will play you in a friendly and the county board won't give you money for accommodation – we have to be realistic."

McNaughton added that there is no question of his players resting on their laurels. Prior to yesterday's game, Kilkenny's only defeat in competitive hurling since last year's league decider against Waterford, was inflicted by Antrim in January's Walsh Cup encounter at Freshford.

"These guys are eager. We love hurling, Kilkenny doesn't have a burning right to love hurling. We love hurling as much as anybody else in Ireland and just because we aren't winning All-Irelands it doesn't mean we shouldn't play the game."

However, the former Antrim player knows his side have still a bit to go before bridging the gap between them and the likes of Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary and Galway.

"We just aren't cute enough at the moment. There are small things we see such as boys over-carrying the ball and not giving out the ball," he conceded.

"Our support play isn't as good because we aren't used to the pace at that level and then Kilkenny will come and find space.

"That (Kilkenny panel) is arguably the best group of players together ever playing hurling. If you look at the subs they brought on - think about it. There subs are class acts and Kilkenny is a class county at hurling."