John Meyler fears gap from top hurling counties is widening

Cork hurling manager John Meyler has expressed concerns for the sport in the developing counties.

It has been a memorable year for hurling. The new format facilitated a hugely-exciting championship campaign, and the small ball took full advantage. A host of epic clashes culminated in Limerick ending a 45-year hurt as they claimed the All-Ireland title.

With so many teams with a realistic chance of landing the top prize, most are in agreement that the top tier of hurling has never been stronger.

"I think the Munster Championship and the Leinster Championship have been brilliant, says Cork manager John Meyler. "The fact that we've the game two weeks on, week off, that's it, play the matches because you doubled the number of people attending the Munster championship this year to quarter of a million from 125,000.

"Games have been so competitive this year, people really, really want to go watch the matches because they're so competitive."

The Rebels boss opined that scoring levels will continue to rise in the coming years.

"If you take it, a match is 76, 77 minutes now. That's really what a match is. A score a minute is 76 points, a score every two minutes is 38. We scored 2-30 the last day and we couldn't win (against Limerick). You're looking now at anywhere up to 35 to 40 points now to win a game because the speed of the game, because of the sliotar, because of the puck-out strategy, it's becoming incredibly fluid, the speed of the pace of the game. That's why people have really enjoyed the summer of hurling. Incredible scores and it's the speed of the game really."

However, while the small ball is flourishing at the top level, there are serious concerns for sides outside the top eight or nine teams. Meyler, who has managed Kerry and Carlow in recent times, knows that better than anyone.

"The gap is going to get wider because you have those five teams in Munster, they play four matches this summer and a knockout match. That's four championship matches you're playing at least, if not five. You notice the matches are getting more competitive, more intense, better hurling and a better standard of hurling.

"So the actual standard of hurling is going to increase to another level again. It's a bit like the Premiership where you've the top four, five six teams. They're just going to improve. I can see the gap being widened."

There is no quick-fix solution.

"I've been in Kerry and I've been in Carlow,"explains Meyler. "I've been in Kerry for the best part of 25 years. You've eight hurling clubs in Kerry and the club I'm involved with in Kerry for the last 18 years Kilmoyley, like Kilmoyley can't field a minor hurling team this year. They can't field an U13 team. They don't have the numbers.

"Every child in Kilmoyley is playing hurling but they don't have the numbers, so numbers-wise and Kilmoyley is unbelievably a traditional stronghold of hurling in Kerry but they really look after the kids in terms of hurling. But because they haven't got the numbers then, that means ultimately down along the line, Kerry will be short numbers.

"Whereas possibly in some clubs in Cork, you could have 40 13-year-olds, Kilmoyley have eight. They're hoping everyone of those will contribute to stay at hurling. It's a numbers issue. It's all of those. It's difficult.

"You just have to keep the strong hurling clubs within the weaker counties, stronger. By pumping in resources there to facilitate them, to help them and then trying to develop. Yeah there's hurling in Tralee, Tralee Parnells is developing. But that's going to take time then to come up and compete at senior level then, add players then to the Kerry senior hurling panel. Hurling takes time, takes massive amount of resources as distinct from football or something like that. It's a huge task."

The structures in place with the Lory Meagher, Nicky Rackard, Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh Cups are positive, but the Cork manager doesn't see the gap being bridged.

"I think that's a huge help, you know that all of those structures are massively important. There's a massive gap then between the two rounds, the teams of five in Leinster and Munster, and then the Joe McDonagh. I know that myself and that's a massive challenge to fill. It's incredibly difficult."

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John Meyler has teamed up with Fáilte Ireland and Ride Wild to announce the launch of the September Wild Atlantic Way Cycle Sportif which will take place from the 8th to the 26th of September 2018. The Sportif is a multi-stage event spanning over 2,000km and is Ireland's greatest cycling experience on one of the longest and most stunning touring routes in the world.