The Leinster Council is not abandoning the interests of its weaker hurling counties, according to provincial chairman Nicky Brennan.

Despite the championship elimination of three counties over the weekend, Brennan also believes they still have something to play for, though he ruled out the possibility of reintroducing the round-robin series because of fixture congestion at this time of year.

Kildare, Wicklow and Carlow were all on the losing end of the Leinster hurling preliminary round, which also marked the start and finish of their run in the championship. The new qualifier series in hurling will only benefit teams in the later stages of the championship - with the exception of Galway - and the only consolation for these counties now is a run in the All-Ireland B championship.

"I'm aware of the various things said by managers after those games at the weekend," said Brennan, "but I disagree that the beaten teams should just dismiss the B championship. Maybe it goes under a bad name and that I can understand but those counties have the Keogh Cup, the National League, the Leinster championship and then the B championship. So they're actually playing in four competitions now.

"And I was disappointed that they dismissed the B championship so flippantly. They were suggesting that they should get into the new qualifier series, but I would argue the case that they're just not ready for that.

"I recognise their right to ask for that, but I don't see why they're dismissing a championship that is designed specifically for teams at that standard. I don't understand why they don't put in an effort to win that, because at least that could become the launching pad to win something else."

Kildare manager Morgan Lawlor was particularly outspoken about the early exit after his side fell to Westmeath at Mullingar on Sunday (losing out 1-14 to 1-10 on the chance to play Dublin the next round). There were similar sentiments from the Wicklow management after they fell to Laois.

"Our championship season is over before we even get into the month of May," said Lawlor. "If the GAA think that is the way to foster hurling in the weaker counties then they are living in cuckoo land.

"We go into the B championship now which is a second grade competition in so many ways. The players know the score and they are not fooled by that competition. As far as I can see the GAA are not interested in teams like Kildare, Wicklow and Carlow because they don't generate much money."

Lawlor also questioned why the Leinster Council could not reintroduce the round-robin series of the hurling championship preliminary games - abandoned last year because of the foot-and-mouth - and felt that more could be done to improve the standard of play at their level.

Brennan, however, called on those counties to focus their efforts on the B championship, which he believes is useful platform and outlet to perform at a higher level.

"It's wrong for them to say it's over at this stage," said Brennan. "They have the B championship in the month of June, and of course you could have a Tipperary or a Clare out of the championship in the month of June as well. But if they would focus properly on the B championship and prove their capability of winning that championship, then they could turn around and say to us look we've won the B title, now give us a shot at the big boys."

There is simply no room either, said Brennan, for the round-robin series now because of the fixture congestion: "I just can't imagine how we could bring it back now because there just isn't room anymore. The hurling league that involves those counties only finished in the last two weeks and if we were to look again at a round robin they would have to play midweek games as well."

The Leinster Council have confirmed Laois will open their Leinster football championship next Monday, rather than the Sunday, when they meet Wicklow at Dr Cullen Park.

"That was a fair request," said Brennan, "simply because we didn't want two Laois teams playing at two different venues on the same day."

The Laois hurlers meet Antrim in the NHL Division Two final in Thurles on Sunday (1.45), the curtain raiser to the Division One final (3.30) between Cork and Kilkenny.