Waterford boss calls for big schedule changes after season ended by Cork

He feels hurling can take inspiration from the football championship for this.

A fourth-consecutive exit in May on Sunday has led to Waterford manager, Peter Queally, to question the current format that is in place right now.

Queally believes the format in Munster is too severe, with reigning All-Ireland champions Clare exiting also. The Déise boss wants sides who exit the provincial championship to still have a chance for All-Ireland glory after May.

Queally said: “I would like to see a change in structure where we’re afforded a little bit of a chance to hurl during the summer when everyone wants to hurl and everyone wants to watch hurling, not in December, January and February.”

He added: “Maybe it’s following suit with our football counterparts where you have your provincial championship and then you have your All-Ireland series. I’m sure if you had a championship, two groups across provinces, you can imagine the crowds that would go to a Wexford/Waterford game or a Kilkenny/Waterford game.”

The 55-year-old's team only mustered one win in their four matches at the round-robin stage. Queally revealed concern for players who may question putting their all in, if it just ends up in bowing out early from the Championship they prepared for.

He said: “I’ve had conversations with fellas who have decided to opt out [saying] ‘I can give all this and I might not be able to hurl in the summer’. People are deciding not to play because of the amount of effort and training that’s asked of them all through the winter months.

"We all want the cut and thrust of the Munster Championship. We don’t want to take that [away]."