John Mullane Is Very Worried For The Future Of Hurling In Two Counties

The provincial round robins continue to serve up plenty of action for hurling fans each year, with plenty of drama on offer in both Munster and Leinster once again this season.

The Munster Championship, in particular, is perhaps the biggest source of entertainment in the GAA at the moment. This year's iteration has featured late drama, massive comebacks, and more than a couple of moments of pure quality. All of this has come before this weekend's final has even been played.

Of course, it was not a successful championship for every county. Defending All-Ireland champions Clare saw their Liam MacCarthy defence fall at the first hurdle, with Waterford also eliminated.

This is the sixth successive edition of the round robin that Waterford have failed to advance to the All-Ireland series, leading some to have serious concerns about the future of hurling in the county.

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John Mullane is someone who experienced plenty of success in the Waterford jersey during his own playing career, but he is now worried that such days could be behind the county.

Writing in the Irish Independent, he ave Wexford and Waterford as examples of two counties that are in danger of falling off a cliff as a result of the current championship structures.

Waterford no longer compete in the All-Ireland SHC, we compete in Munster and that’s as far as our season has gone in the last six round-robin campaigns.

Waterford are not going to grow under the current system, they are paying lip service and saying that they want to grow the game but they’re going to lose a team if they’re not careful...

Waterford and Wexford are going to be in very choppy waters over the coming years and we’re going to need help from the powers that be to at least stay where we are, let alone thrive.

Wexford have experienced some success in the Leinster Championship, advancing to the All-Ireland series in two of the last four years. However, they have not featured in a provincial final since 2019.

As for Waterford, it seems as though the gap between them and the other counties in Munster will not close any time soon.