Is the current hurling format punishing Munster teams?

Speaking recently on the RTÉ GAA podcast, Meath legend Colm O'Rourke said that Leinster football was in "crisis."

He argued that Dublin's dominance at the top was covering over a lot of the cracks in the province, and disproportionately boosting the province's performance average over the decade.

The two-time All-Ireland winner feared that both Dublin and Kildare might be relegated, and that we would end up with no side from the province in Division of the Allianz League in 2023. That, of course, subsequently happened last month.

O'Rourke went on to say that, "The Leinster Championship... could be actually competitive this year, albeit at a lower level."

And while the return of the round-robin provincial championships to hurling has been welcomed by followers of the game around the country, the question must be asked, is Leinster hurling in a similar predicament to its big ball cousin?

Kilkenny are a bit like Dublin were in football. They're the exception that brings the average performance of the province up. They're going for their first three in a row in Leinster this year since they completed a seven in a row of titles back in 2011.

But since a Leinster county other than Kilkenny last reached an All-Ireland final - Offaly in 2000 - Munster sides have on average been far stronger than the hurling counties in the east.

All five sides that will compete in the southern provincial championship this year have reached the Liam MacCarthy match at least twice since, while four of them have won at least one All-Ireland in that time.

This point was put to Shane Dowling this week as he helped to launch RTÉ's The Sunday Game coverage for the 2022 season.

"I think the Leinster Championship, you will get games where they won't be