Nail. On. Head.
Galway/Limerick AIF:cool:
It looks like it could be a novel final pairing this year - unless Kilkenny bounce back and face Cork in the final.
A final featuring two of Galway, Limerick, Dublin or Waterford would be something else.
But Galway-Limerick would be fantastic alright. Different result to 1980 though please! 
Limerick never feared Galway
The writing was on the wall after last years Leinster Final. Take Shefflin out and their average enough
Plenty of people getting excited about the fact that Kilkenny or Tipperary will be gone on the first weekend in July and the novelty of it all. Just goes to show how much the backdoor system has failed hurling and has consolidated the stranglehold of the Big 3. Just looking at old programmes from the 1981 & 94 All Ireland Finals there. In 1994, Kilkenny, Cork & Tipperary were all out of the Championship on 26 June. In 1981, all three were gone on 21 June. It doesn’t happen too often when the Big 3 are all in a state of flux at the same time, but it really will be sickening if you get a 2004 type scenario (when beaten provincial finalists Cork & Kilkenny end up in the All Ireland) and Tipperary or Kilkenny end up winning in September. Its early days in the season, but it has the hallmarks of a rare year for the non-establishment, a year for Galway, Limerick or even Dublin to go and win it.
I could see Tipperary regrouping and being there or thereabouts. Thei age profile is young enough. Last year courtesy of losing the Leinster Final and drawing the All Ireland Final, it took Kilkenny six games to win the All Ireland. The previous 8 All Ireland’s under Cody’s watch were won in 4 matches. Already they’re looking at 8 matches this year to win the All Ireland. That’s a huge ask for a team so long on the go and with so many guys now the wrong side of 30. I wouldn’t rule out a one off Kilkenny backlash on Saturday because its Tipperary and I think I’m correct in saying its in Nowlan Park, but I can’t see them being able to regroup sufficiently to go the distance. Funnily enough I think the rest of the pack might be better served if Kilkenny took out Tipperary on Saturday.
Quick question on the draw - lets assume Clare were to overcome Laois (and that’s my no means a certainty such is the improvement Laois have made under Seamus Plunkett), are repeat pairings avoided in the next round of qualifiers? As Clare would have already played Waterford in Munster, is it then cast in stone that it would be a Clare v Wexford and Kilkenny/Tipperary v Waterford match up in Round 3 of the Qualifiers?
They’ve had some run at it in fairness. Wouldn’t surprise me if they hammered Tipp at home next weekend and made the final through the backdoor.
The crazy thing is that Dublin were much the better team both days and were more comprehensive winners last night than the scoreline suggested. Still far too many good hurlers to write them off - put Paul Murphy, Mick Fennelly and Shefflin back in there and they’ll be ominous again.
I see a lot of parallels with the Kerry football team in the 80’s. When Seamus Darby ended 5 in a row in 1982, Kerry although a good bit past their prime, were able to regroup and still had enough cuteness and aura about them to do a 3 in a row 1984-86. Much the same with Kilkenny, it was an incredible achievement to regroup after 2010 and win in 2011 & 12. There were clear signs last year that it was the last hurrah, obviously the loss to Galway but equally if Limerick had a bit more belief and were maybe a bit further down the line in terms of team development they could have beaten them at the quarter final stage.
In 1987, Kerry got out of jail in the drawn Munster Final, but the legs were well and truly gone in the replay and they were completely overrun by Cork. Its hugely dangerous to write off Kilkenny, particularly if Fennelly and Shefflin are to come back in, but I do feel Kilkenny are in the same place Kerry were in, in 1987. You can only go to the well so many times.
[quote=“Wrigley Field, post: 794226, member: 1735”]
Quick question on the draw - lets assume Clare were to overcome Laois (and that’s my no means a certainty such is the improvement Laois have made under Seamus Plunkett), are repeat pairings avoided in the next round of qualifiers? As Clare would have already played Waterford in Munster, is it then cast in stone that it would be a Clare v Wexford and Kilkenny/Tipperary v Waterford match up in Round 3 of the Qualifiers?[/quote]
I can now exclusively reveal how the rest of the championship will go:
Back door Round 2
Kilkenny beat Tipp
Clare beat Laois
Back door Round 3
Kilkenny beat Waterford
Clare beat Wexford
Provincial finals:
Cork beat Limerick
Galway beat Dublin
Quarter Finals:
Kilkenny beat Limerick
Dublin beat Clare
Semi-Finals:
Cork beat Dublin
Kilkenny beat Galway
Final:
Kilkenny beat Cork
[quote=“Sidney, post: 794229, member: 183”]I can now exclusively reveal how the rest of the championship will go:
Clare beat Wexford
[/quote]
Seriously Kilkenny are an utter rabble without Shefflin. If Dublin had a decent free taker that was a ten point game.
[quote=“cluaindiuic, post: 794099, member: 258”]
We now likely have to play Tipp without our best defender the last 2 years, our best midfielder by a distance and the greatest hurler of all time. [/quote]
Enjoy the NFL mate
Wouold have loved if Carlow had beaten Wexford and that little bastard Liam Dunne
To be fair Paul Ryan is usually very reliable on the frees. In the league final he stuck them over from every distance and angle, didn’t miss one on the night. :mad:
His head went after he missed the first couple last night. He must have missed six or seven in total, Dublin while much the better side left them in it until the end.
The Shefflin thing is a red herring, the reality is they were missing key players in Murphy & Fennelly, the old reliables Tommy, JJ & Jackie don’t have the legs for it anymore and the forwards are just not good enough. They were able to paper over the cracks last year because the opposition were so average but it’s caught up with them this year.
[quote=“dodgy-keeper, post: 794236, member: 1552”]
His head went after he missed the first couple last night. He must have missed six or seven in total, Dublin while much the better side left them in it until the end.[/quote]
Dublin made it hard for themselves last night. Despite huge dominance in defence and around the middle they still labour for scores and I’d be surprised if that doesn’t catch up with them against Galway. 1-17, 1-17, 0-17 and 1-16 now in four championship matches. They’ll surely need more than that against Galway.
Being refereed strictly was never going to suit them either.
Says the fella who’s team produced the biggest embarrassment of all time in hurling. This team is currently without 3 of its best hurlers and 2 others are not fully fit, what other team could cope with those injuries and continue to produce the same standard.
It must be pretty sad to rely on a referee and 4/5 injuries in order to bring KK back to the standard of hurling that sees them suffer a loss.