By Randal Scally

RTE's love-in with hurling, and the Munster SHC in particular, is really starting to rankle with football fans.

It has been a diet of hurling only for TV viewers since the national broadcaster launched its live summer schedule on May 12 with a Munster SHC double-header involving Waterford and Clare, and Cork and Tipperary. To be fair, the small ball game was the only show in town last year, but it has been a different story this summer.

The decision to cover hurling matches only over the last four Sundays has backfired badly with today's one-sided double-header featuring Waterford and Limerick, and Tipperary and Clare making for painful viewing - unless you're a Limerick or Tipp fan!

The good news for football fans is that they have only six days to wait to RTE's first live football game of the summer - Donegal v Tyrone in the Ulster SFC semi-final - before normal service resumes on Sunday with another hurling double-header (Kilkenny v Galway in Leinster and Limerick v Clare in Munster).

After that, there's a better balance to RTE's coverage, which must to be the case from the get-go in 2020.

Hurling is a phenomenal sport and provides wonderful entertainment but would it kill RTÉ to show a football match every now and again. I’d take a dour Ulster Championship game at this stage! #SundayGame #CLAREvTIPP

— Al Flats (@alflats11) June 2, 2019

As much as I love hurling, the emphasis on televising the Munster Championship is too much. Two very one sided and poor matches today, while Cavan and Armagh are playing out a decent match in Ulster #WATvLIM #ClarevTipp

— Seán O'Regan (@SeanOR95) June 2, 2019

There needs to be more balance on RTE next year. Two crap one sided hurling games and we have to wait until 7pm to see the Ulster semi final. No doubt the Sunday game will start with the hurling too

— Colm Parkinson (@Woolberto) June 2, 2019

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