All downhill for the Saffrons

Antrim's hurlers have had a decent season so far despite being relegated from the top flight but it's all downhill from here on in.
The Saffrons won't have a competitive match now until the middle of June when they contest the Ulster final, which with respect to the other northern counties will not be much of a test.
Meanwhile the country's top sides have the later stages of the League to contest, which allows the top sides to rev up their engine for the provincial championships and the Liam McCarthy Cup.
While Antrim's hurlers are playing challenge games the country's finest will finish off the league before facing off in Leinster and Munster, serious fare unlike our provincial championship.
By the time Antrim re-enter serious competition again the rest of the country will have moved on massively in terms of fitness and sharpness.
And under the proposals of the Hurling Development Committee it can get only get worse as instead of the round robin games Antrim 'enjoyed' last season they will be condemned to the second rate Christy Ring Cup competition.
Tomas Mulcahy made the point that for the sake of hurling we should not be relegating teams out of the top competitions but instead encouraging them and promoting the game wherever hurling is played.
He's right and anyone who wants hurling to have a long-term future outside of the traditional counties must reject the attempt to condemn the likes of Antrim and Laois to second-class status.