John Mullane feels more needs to be done for hurling to win the hearts and minds of youngsters in Waterford.

The former star forward cites competition from other sports, lack of free-to-air TV coverage and the county’s failure to finish in the top three of the Munster SHC since the current format was introduced as reasons why Waterford are struggling.

"There are enormous challenges down here," he told RTÉ’s Inside Sport.

"I've seen it first hand, the challenges that we have competing with soccer and rugby. We're all fighting amongst one another to get as many numbers as we can. I'm sure Wexford are in the same boat."

Mullane added: "We need to have as many of the big games on free-to-air TV as possible. To throw it out there to these young kids, that they can see the Austin Gleesons, the Tadhg de Búrcas, the Stephen Bennetts, the Dessie Hutchinsons.

"The more they see those guys on TV, the more they will say to themselves, 'one day I want to become a Waterford hurler.'

"On the flip side of that, the players we're trying to attract to play hurling, they might come on board and start to play the game."

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