Cork manager Gerald McCarthy has claimed Kilkenny have a "huge advantage" due to the lack of competition in the Leinster SHC, and has called for Galway and Antrim to be admitted to the province. Speaking ahead of Sunday's big Munster showdown with Tipperary, McCarthy said that rather than abolishing the Munster SHC in favour of an open draw, the Leinster SHC should be made more competitive. "It's a brilliant competition and the real pity is that the Leinster championship isn't as competitive," he said. "Any one of four teams can win in Munster, and the fact that it's a hard competition is borne out by the fact that when you get to the All-Ireland quarter and semi-finals, the Munster champions are usually pretty tired. "It might be unfair to say it at this stage, but Kilkenny, to all intents and purposes, are through to the All-Ireland semi-final, which is a huge advantage to them in the sense that they can judge their training schedule to peak for that game. In Munster, when it comes to the first game, you have to be up for it." Dismissing the notion of an open draw, he added: "The focus should really be put on improving Leinster by getting the likes of Galway and Antrim into the province. That would certainly shake things up in Leinster, and it's needed." Tweet

Most Read Stories