By Niall Gartland

ANTRIM u-20 hurling manager Michael McShane is welcoming the opportunity to expose his players to the demands of senior intercounty hurling with the return of the Conor McGurk competition.

The Conor McGurk pre-season tournament begins with the round one meeting of Antrim and Armagh at Dunsilly on Friday evening.

Antrim will field their u-20 team and manager McShane (pictured), who is entering his second season in charge, says that the competition offers an ideal opportunity to aid in the development of his players.

Speaking to Ulster GAA, McShane said: “The group I’m working with is 18-20 year olds, and it’s the last step before they go into senior intercounty.

“We’re trying to teach them a few things about the level of physicality needed. Bringing the u-20 team in to play in a competition alongside senior teams is a great opportunity to expose them to the level of strength and physicality needed to excel at senior intercounty level.”

Also participating in the pre-season competition are Monaghan, Derry, Cavan, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Donegal alongside Louth, Ulster University and Queen’s University, Belfast.

The competition will be played in a knockout format and the final is scheduled for the Dub Arena at Queen’s on Saturday, January 17. While teams will use the competition as a chance to shake off the cobwebs ahead of the National League, McShane is also keen to do as well as feasibly possible.

“This is my first opportunity to manage in the Conor McGurk tournament, so I’m personally looking forward to it.

“It’s great to see the number of teams participating, and it’s great for the promotion of hurling in Ulster, and we’ll certainly be looking to go as far in the competition as possible.”