DERRY hurlers need the Ulster Championship to return in order to help them improve.

That’s the opinion of former county hurler Ollie Collins, who was part of the last Derry team to win an Ulster title back in 2001. Antrim have won every final ever since the competition was paused in 2017.

Collins said that he thinks that Derry have the potential to be very good, and he knows new manager Dominic McKinley well as he took over as manager of Derry after Collins retired in 2006.

“Dominic McKinley is a true hurling man and he will want the best for Derry.

“They are not in a bad place. I see a lot of good players there. Maybe not our best players – the best players are not always playing for Derry.”

Yet for Collins, Derry are missing an important test in the provincial series which hasn’t been played in three years.

“It would do no harm if the Ulster Championship was back on.

“In the last couple of years they have said that they haven’t time, but it would help the standard of hurling in Ulster. Playing National League, Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard is fair enough, but playing against your neighbours is better.

“If the Ulster Championship was back and Antrim were in it, who are Division One, Down who got to the Christy Ring final, and Derry, who are on an even par with Down.

“Mickey McShane is in with Tyrone and he is going to do a good job with them because Mickey is Mickey and he will put his heart and soul into it and Armagh and Donegal are competitive as well.

“The Ulster Championship needs to be back on. It would even help Antrim.”

The Ulster tournament was put on hold from 2018 to 2020, but it will not return this year and the future of the competition is unclear.

Collins explained that the Ulster Championship is better than other tournaments because neighbouring rivalry brings the best out in teams.

“Nickey Rackard and those other tournaments are good, but you don’t know the personnel. If you play Down or Antrim you know their hurling scenes.

“You lift your game, and that lifts your standard.

“When we were playing Ulster Championship, Antrim were always there and Down and Derry were on an even keel. Now you have these other teams coming it would lift Ulster hurling.”

Nor does Collins think that Derry would be on a hiding to nothing if they played Antrim in an Ulster Championship.

“If Derry had their best players out they would be competing with Antrim. You just have to look at what Sleacht Néill have done and where they have competed.

“I think if Derry went out and got beat by Antrim by 50 points that won’t do anyone any good. But I don’t think there is that much of a gap. If Antrim are Division One, Derry and Down are Division Two. So they are not a million miles away, and I think that the Ulster rivalry would come in and that teams would lift their game.”