Hurling's 'Super League' leaving the rest behind, says Kerry boss Fintan O'Connor
Fintan O'Connor: I would have loved for it to be a full season of hurling for the Kerry hurlers. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Kerry hurling manager Fintan O’Connor has criticised the format of this year’s Joe McDonagh Cup, claiming second-tier hurling counties are not being fairly treated.
O’Connor likened the 11-county All-Ireland SHC to the recently proposed European Super League and said counties outside of hurling’s top-tier are being left behind.
In last year’s edition of the Joe McDonagh Cup, each of the five participating counties were afforded a minimum of four championship games, with the decider played as the curtain-raiser to the All-Ireland final.
But despite the 2021 inter-county calendar having one more hurling championship weekend than in 2020, (seven last year, eight this year), Croke Park has halved to two the minimum number of games Joe McDonagh counties will play.
Moreover, the decider has been removed from All-Ireland final day and will instead be played as the curtain-raiser to the Leinster SHC final in mid-July, five weeks before the conclusion of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
O’Connor cannot understand why the second-half of July and August wasn’t utilised to provide more games for Joe McDonagh counties.
With both of last year’s Christy Ring finalists promoted to the Joe McDonagh, the second-tier championship has grown from a five to a six-team competition in 2021. The six participating counties - Carlow, Down, Kerry, Kildare, Meath, and Westmeath - have been divided into two groups of three, with the top team from each group advancing to the final.
The Kerry boss is “disappointed” with the format of this year’s Joe McDonagh Cup and the decision to take the decider out of All-Ireland final day. At a minimum, he said Joe McDonagh semi-finals should have been built into the calendar which would have meant each of the six counties playing at least three games.
“It’s a bad time to be saying something negative about playing because everyone wants to play and everyone wants to try and be as accommodating as they can and as understanding as they can, but you can still be a little bit cranky when you think you’re not being treated 100% fairly,” the Kingdom boss remarked.
“Everyone is always discussing what we can do to help the counties to bridge the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2. But in hurling, there is a Super League and the other counties are kinda left behind. We definitely have a Super League in hurling and it’s definitely at the expense of counties like Kerry that don’t get to play as much at that level.
“Those Liam MacCarthy counties will have to play knock-out as well this year and they’ll only get [a minimum of] two games. But they have a huge playing population and they’ve huge support. We get very well supported in Kerry, but I don’t think we’re getting supported well enough centrally to develop hurling in places like Kerry and Westmeath.
“In the off-season, you’re thinking how can those counties make the next step and make the breakthrough to the next level. Playing more games, having the final on before the All-Ireland final, and making it as prestigious as possible [are ways to achieve that].”
No more than the latest Joe McDonagh format handed down by Croke Park, O’Connor wasn’t too impressed with the coverage afforded to the Joe McDonagh All-Star winners during last February’s All-Star programme on RTÉ.
“When I see the All-Stars, and the Joe McDonagh All-Stars is two seconds the night of the All-Stars, you’re a little bit bitter and a little bit cranky and that’s natural I suppose.”
Kerry half-forward Michael O'Leary will miss this year’s League and Championship because of a back injury. Joining the panel is Cian Hussey from St Brendan’s. Kerry begin their Division 2A League campaign at home to Down on Sunday, May 9.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
