John Kiely Not Sold On Growing Munster Hurling Championship Argument

The round-robin phase of the provincial hurling championships is concluded and eight teams remain in the All-Ireland championship.

Limerick and Cork will face off in a mouth-watering Munster final on Saturday, June 7th, before Kilkenny take on Galway the following day in the Leinster decider.

Third-placed Tipperary and Dublin will be joined by Joe McDonagh Cup finalists Kildare and Laois in the preliminary quarter-finals, completing the eight counties who will contest the All-Ireland series.

This format has been in place since 2019 but after this year's hurling provincial round-robins concluded, some have expressed their discontent.

Waterford pulled off one of the best results of the round-robin, claiming a sensational shock win over All-Ireland champions Clare.

Both sides would ultimately be eliminated after finishing outside the top three in Munster, something Déise manager Peter Queally was frustrated by.

Queally was joined by ex-Wexford manager Tony Dempsey, with both men unhappy that their counties' hurling season is over by late May.

The argument for four teams to progress from the Munster and Leinster league phases is a growing one - but Limerick manager John Kiely believes it would fundamentally change what makes the Munster hurling championship so great.

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Addressing the media this week, John Kiely was asked for his thoughts on Peter Queally's remarks calling for a change to the All-Ireland hurling championship format.

Though the Limerick manager expressed sympathy for Queally and Waterford being eliminated at this early stage, he argued it was pivotal to limit the qualifying spots to just the top three.

Kiely said he hoped people would "embrace the jeopardy" created by the limited qualification spots.

It is tough, [Waterford] haven't come out yet so it's going to be tough on them, they've made great progress this year, Peter has done really well.

I suppose you just have to keep going back and eventually you'll get the breakthrough. Look at Tipperary last year where they were at the bottom of the group and this year they've turned it around, they've got five points on the board.

Do I think putting four teams out (into the All-Ireland series) is going to improve it? I don't, I think it will actually diminish the importance of the games. There's great jeopardy there. It is tough but it's a good tough.

When you love sport, you want to be involved in a competition that has incredible standards, incredible competition and real jeopardy and that's what the Munster championship has and that's why it's so special and that's why the crowds are turning out, so we have to embrace the jeopardy with the desire to get out.

It's hard to argue with the Limerick manager.

His side came through the Munster hurling championship fairly comfortably, with Cork and Tipperary joining them.

Tipp largely had their superb victory over Clare to thank for their qualification to the Liam MacCarthy series, effectively ending the Banner's involvement in the process. That game would almost certainly not have felt so thrilling had Clare had the safety net of a fourth-place qualifying spot.

Especially in the Munster championship, the current hurling format is brutal and unforgiving - but that is what makes it so compelling.