Wexford star Rory O’Connor reckons Joe Canning’s absence through injury will level the playing field for this summer’s Leinster senior hurling championship.

Canning is set to miss the entire provincial campaign as a result of the groin injury he sustained in Galway’s league semi-final loss to Waterford last month and O’Connor feels the Tribesmen’s loss will certainly be other teams’ gain in the Bob O’Keeffe Cup race.

"It definitely does," the Model County ace told RTE Sport when asked whether Canning's absence helps to level the playing field in Leinster. "With frees anyway. Anything inside the 70 is over the bar.

"He's at the peak of his career, I suppose carrying Galway. He's a class hurler, I would have looked up to him when I was younger.

"Unfortunately, he's out injured now so it's not going to just give hope to Wexford, you have Kilkenny and Dublin licking their lips, so it's whoever wants it the most now.

"It's going to be interesting, I'd say there's not going to be much between the teams in Leinster just like in Munster."

Tweet

Most Read Stories