Former Cork All-Ireland winning manager Donal O'Grady says next year's All-Ireland senior hurling championship "will suffer" as a result of its new format.

Next summer will see counties pencilled in for more games and O'Grady fears the standard could go down as a result of a more compacted schedule.  

"I think the championship will suffer. I don't think you'll have the same cut and thrust," the ex-Cork full-back told the Irish Independent.

"You will in the first game but what happens the following weekend when fellas are tired? And the third when fellas are more tired? So it will be a difficult championship and I think the pace of the game will fall a bit.

"The first rounds of the championships are usually played about three-quarters pace, maybe full pace for ten minutes but (after that schedule) it will take time for players to get up to the pace you see in a quarter-final or semi-final - I think it will suffer."

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