Kerry manager Tom Howard believes weaker hurling counties won't improve unless they get more games.

Barring a draw, the Kingdom will have their last outing of the year on Saturday when they face Down in the Christy Ring Cup final, and the Clare native doesn't think it's right that they will be idle for the rest of the summer.

"We play five league games and four in the Christy Ring Cup and that is a good year where you make the final. You'd like to have a situation where you would have maybe 15 games and have fellas training throughout the summer," he stated in the Irish Examiner.

"For a team like Kerry to play in the Munster championship should be a real goal, but right now it's not an option. The gap is too large so we need to have another level to play at for an extended period in order one day to be good enough to take a further step."

He added: "There is a competition missing between the Christy Ring Cup and the All-Ireland. Hopefully there will be a proper second tier competition in the not too distant future." Tweet

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