Liam Cahill fears that most young hurlers won't be ready for the step up to senior hurling if the under-20 championship is replaced.
Previously hurlers could make the step up from under-21 level to senior, but that was scrapped in favour of an under-20 championship last year.
Cahill, who has guided Tipperary into the All-Ireland final where they will play Cork towards the end of this month, is concerned about any further changes to the structure, with suggestions the under-17 and under-20 grades could make way for an under-19 format.
"I would be concerned about it from the perspective of a 19-year old when he is finished with under-19 and he's not yet ready to step up to senior," said Cahill.
"Unless you are one of the elite, a Jake Morris or a Kyle Hayes, and you come through quickly and are an exceptional player, the majority of these players are 22-23 before they step up.
"Between 19 and 21-22 is too long to leave these players out there and for them not to be involved in an inter-county set-up, and we're possibly going to lose a lot of potential young players who are late developers along the line if they move it back to under-19."
The good news for Cahill and for the other intercounty hurling managers at under-20 level is that their players can double up - something that isn't allowed in Gaelic Football.
"I don’t know where that rule came out of," said Cahill. "When the grade was brought back from under-21, this rule at under-20, for football, was there from day one.
"It's unfair. These players should be allowed to play at their own grade. I don’t think it’s a case that it is unmanageable, it can be managed.
"You're seeing it here with ourselves. You are seeing with counties where there is an overlap, that we're able to handle it.
"I'd be fairly annoyed if I was an under-20 inter-county football manager and three or four of my best players and couldn’t play with me as a result of that. I think it's lunacy.
"In our case, Liam Sheedy has sent them back in absolutely top class condition so we don’t have to worry about their physicality or their S&C work, that's just done.
"They come back to you ready to go. If relationships are good in that respect, I couldn’t see it being an issue. I wouldn’t think there is a danger of burnout.
"It would be different if they were coming back to play under-20 hurling and football. Then they would be going weekend after weekend.
"It's a strange one. I'm glad it's not implemented into the under-20 hurling structure".
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