ST PAUL’S Hurling manager Ronan McKenna says that he is slightly concerned about the long lay-off now facing some teams in Antrim.

St Paul’s exited the hurling championship recently and with league all wrapped up, their team is now out of action until next spring.

“It is very early to be wrapping up. I don’t remember ever stopping this early. I know that championship is where you want to be, but even when I was playing league would have continued right into autumn and sometimes the winter months.”

The reason for the early stop is partly to do with a curtailed season because of Covid, but also because of the split season, and the focus on allowing Autumn to be a period for provincial club competition.

Now the St Paul’s club are looking at ways to keep their players interested in the off season.

“We have been talking about strength and conditioning. But in terms of games it is hard to get boys involved if there is nothing there to play for. We are going to have a bit of dip and then we will have to get things going. Whoever takes it over.”

McKenna said that while the long lay off is a negative, some of the changes to the season have been positive.

“I do welcome the round robin situation. We only got five league games. For those trying to develop teams that has not been good. But the Round robin has been good in the championship. The benefit for us was that a lot of players got exposure, given that it wasn’t the same 15 playing with every game.

“The downside is that you can have dead rubbers at the end of a round robin. Given that we have had limited leagues over the last year or two, then the round robins have been welcome.”

However, a curtailed season has not helped his club in terms of personnel.

“We are a dual club and that has been very difficult for us. The run of fixtures has meant that we didn’t have our football players. I know from talking to other club, there are dual players who are having to play eight or nine matches within a month. There is very little time left there for coaching. For a dual player it is very difficult.

“I felt that the season was very condensed for us. The league finished early. We finished our league at the end of June. Then we played our last Championship game at the end of August. Within that you had football added in. I think the season could be a bit drawn out. I don’t envy the fixture schedulers job though. But our season is effectively over now. That is us now till next April. With nothing on till then then we are at the risk of losing our players to other sports. I think there is a conversation there to be had. I don’t know what the answer is but there needs to be some consideration for dual clubs like ours.”

McKenna won’t have to worry about that situation though next year as he is stepping down as manager of the club. He led the team to win the junior Championship last year and stayed on this season to see how Intermediate level would go. He believes that the club are in a better place now.

“We thought that we would give it a rattle this year and we have done that. It has run its course. When we started four years go Hurling in the club was nearly facing extinction. But things are going well and we are happy with where our hurling is at. There is a good blend of young players coming through. That is testament of the development that has went on in the club. There is good work being done at minor and u-15 level. The conveyor belt is there.

“Hopefully they can push on and contest for titles in the coming years. This year was just about hard work and recognising the standard that they are at because it was tough.”