Both Derek McGrath and Davy Fitzgerald have questioned why Kerry will not be allowed straight into next year's Munster Championship should they win the Joe McDonagh Cup final next month.
Kerry qualified for the final of hurling's second tier with victory over Antrim at Corrigan Park on Saturday. They will face the same opposition in the final on June 4th in a double-header with the Leinster hurling final at Croke Park.
Should Antrim win, they will replace Laois in the Leinster Championship. However, if Kerry are victorious, they will have to win a playoff against Tipperary, the bottom team in the Munster Championship round robin, if they are to take the step up to the top tier.
The Sunday Game panel on why it's unfair that Kerry won't automatically enter the Munster championship even if they win the Joe McDonagh Cup #rtegaa #thesundaygame pic.twitter.com/1L4Ct9MRXi
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 22, 2022
"What's the difference between Antrim and Kerry?" McGrath said on The Sunday Game.
"We're playing county hurling. It's absolutely ridiculous. You look at last year's Joe McDonagh final: Westmeath win, and are in the Leinster Championship, do really well this year.
"They've made it into six teams [in Leinster] over the last two years, and we have a situation in Munster where Kerry... it's just simply unfair, there's no other analysis.
"We don't know the reasoning why. Back in the day... I suppose over the years you might have said that Kerry weren't able to be competitive with the top echelons of Munster, but surely their development [is important], and the prize for winning the Joe McDonagh should be to enter straight into the Munster Championship."
Fitzgerald added: "I think it's very unfair. Leinster have six, why can't Munster? The lads are making progress, and it might be tough on them for a year or two, but I don't see why they shouldn't be there."
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