With Brendan Murphy reportedly set for a move to the United States for the summer, Michael Quirke believes Carlow’s Championship side have already achieved their season's goal. 

 Regardless of their goals their goals the 29-year-old’s decision inflicts a hammer blow for Carlow manager Turlough O’Brien’s options for his Championship squad.

 Michael Quirke believes the main focus for smaller football counties is the league. He believes promotion is their premiere focus, and solidifying their status at a higher level of competition to consistently move up the ladder.

 Michael Quirke joined this morning’s OTB AM to discuss the issue.

 “There’s obviously a much wider problem for all these counties. It’s that their main competition for their year is their league. It’s all about the league for them. It’s all about promotion. And it is now about staying in a higher division next year.”

 Quirke says Brendan Murphy’s targets have “effectively” been met for the season with their promotion to division three. He believes Murphy’s reported decision to omit himself from the Championship squad is due to their success in the League campaign.

 He believes the system is flawed regarding players departing after the league campaign. Something he thinks need to be overhauled in order to keep players in their native county championship squads.

 “So, effectively for Brendan Murphy, his goals have been met for the year, and with Carlow this year. It shouldn’t be the case obviously. It should be the case that they have an ambition to go win something, whether that’s a provincial title or a new structured title – that gives them a meaningful game with the chance to win something but it’s a further indictment that this system. For the likes of Carlow, is not fit for its purpose. And now, someone like Brendan Murphy, their best player is after taking off to the States, because look he’ll get whatever amount of money he wants there, and really have nothing to play for back in here in the Championship,’ said Quirke