EDDIE BRENNAN HAS called for a restructuring of the All-Ireland U21 hurling championship in the wake of Kilkenny’s 52-point demolition of Derry in yesterday’s semi-final.
The Cats ran out easy 8-35 to 0-7 winners over the Ulster champions in a game that did little for either side.
“What do you say?” asked Brennan. “There is no sugar-coating that. It was a complete mismatch. Before a ball was thrown in, we just prepared to put our best foot forward.
“We prepared as diligently as we could. I have to compliment our lads on doing what they had to do today. We crossed the hurdle, we moved onto the final. We generated a bit of competition for places, which is what you want facing into an All-Ireland final.
“There was talk of taking the game up to Derry, but unfortunately, I’m not tasked with promoting hurling in Derry. We have to look at this structure. Maybe, we need to look at potentially scrapping the provincial championships and making an open draw.
“Maybe, this is the competition for that, whereby you put everybody into hat and have a 16-team competition or whatever it is. Filter it down so you are going to have four real quality quarter-finals.”
Brennan believes scrapping the provincial championships in favour of an open draw might be the way forward.
“I think an open draw is better at this level. The Munster competition, there is a lot of people very attached to that. I’m respectful of that. For me, you’re trying to knock it around your head and thinking, ‘what is the way forward for thus U21 championship’.
“Maybe, U21 could be used to road-test an open draw. For me, maybe that is the way hurling is going to go, inevitably. That is what is looking at hurling in the next three or four years. Maybe, you are going to go that route of open draws, a provincial competition played early and then everyone into the hat.”
Derry boss Colm McGurk reckons a two-tiered championship is the way forward.
“In all reality Derry should be in the tier two U21 competition along with Kerry and Meath and all the Ulster teams should be there as it stands presently,” he said.
“But that’s the way of the draw. The fellas want to play in Thurles against Kilkenny and that’s a nice experience regardless of the outcome.”
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