John Cleary was satisfied to see his Cork reach the Munster SFC semi-finals but he acknowledged that Gaelic football would be better served if the provincial championships were played before the league.
Cork put in a strong second-half showing to see off Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh as Chris Óg Jones, Ruairi Deane and Ian Maguire goals saw them come from behind at half-time to set up a showdown with Kerry in the last four.
"We're happy enough to be in a semi-final," Cleary said on RTÉ's Sunday Sport.
"This time last year we were beaten by Clare and didn't get to the Munster semi-final. So there first thought is we're happy enough to get over the line today.
"We left three or four goal chances behind us in the first half. Maybe if we had got one we might have pushed on. It gave Limerick something to cling on to and in fairness they kicked three excellent points from long range in the first half.
"We were a small bit flat and we got on top but then we rested on our laurels and finished well. Overall, it was a mixed bag."
Do the provincial football championships still appeal to supporters?
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 7, 2024
What might the future of the GAA calendar look like? #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/8I6HoPaAz8
They face a Kerry side who have won 12 of the last 14 Munster championships, with the Rebels beating them in 2012 and most recently in the covid championship of 2020.
Cleary is under no illusions about the task at hand against the team he considers to be Ireland's finest.
"We're playing one of the best three in Ireland, on their day the best in Ireland," he continued.
"It'll be a barometer of where our group has come to. I think we're improving but you don't really know until you meet the top teams.
"Kerry certainly are a top team and that's what we're facing on Saturday week."
Cork are very likely to be competing for the Sam Maguire later in the year, although they could still miss out if enough Division 3 and 4 teams were to reach provincial finals around the country.
And while the Kerry game is one he is looking forward to, Cleary did wonder whether this is the best slot in the calendar for the provincial championships.
"They're definitely lob-sided," he said.
"You've Ulster, where seven counties could win it. In Munster and Leinster it has been one county for the last 12 years in a row. Definitely that has outlived its usefulness.
"They have to look at playing the provincial before the league. At least then, coming to this time of the year, teams would know what competition they are in in four weeks' time.
"It definitely needs to be looked at, with a bit of tidying up to doing."
