Get a grip
The player is badly rattled.
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Ok what a great night for Limerick hurling beating Clare at free taking 
A drawn match awarded to Limerick in a lottery system. Like the penalty shoot out to declare a winner in a drawn soccer match.
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You said that we only won one game of note. If you take the line that we only drew with Clare, then we drew with Tipp as well. Which means that we are the only unbeaten team this year. I think that pushes Limerick to the top of the power rankings for this year
Theyâre not too far off
We will bate the bollox off the lot of yee cunts.
There is no doubt about it but ye are a serious outfit
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Last yearâs championship has no bearing on this yearâs championship you loon.
The only thing you can go on is the form teams are in now, and given the personnel available to them, how much realistic improvement you would expect for the championship. Teams that have improved since last year are Kilkenny, Limerick and Clare and teams that have gone back somewhat are Tipp, Wexford and Galway. Cork are probably about the same and who knows with Waterford who didnât bother with the league. You also have to figure the impact of the intensity of the round robin format which will be more like traditional provincial championships compared to the nonsense we have had since the back door was introduced. This new format is bound to throw up a few surprise results, I wouldnât be at all surprised to see a few big names miss out.
Based on form and available panels:
Munster: Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Tipp
Leinster: Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin, Wexford, Offaly
I really think itâs wide open this year, the team who truly finds their stride will win it and it could be one of many.
Galway - Champions and rightful favorites albeit based on nothing weâve seen this year. Theyâve been regulars at the business end for years now though and set the standard. Seeing is believing though and I wouldnât be ploughing into them at current odds
Kilkenny - A team in steady decline they said. Theyâll be down for years they said. What did Brian Cody and TJ Reid say, Go fuck yourselves, thatâs what. Strong contenders
Tipp - Favorites the last 2 league finals only to fall flat on their faces.They wonât panic, only some Joe Canning wizardry stopped them in their tracks last year and you get the feeling they are just one big performance from being odds on favorites to lift Liam. Strong contenders
Waterford - The forgotten team. Used the league in '15 and 16 to get themselves right and having done that itâs patently obvious all they care about now is hurling in high Summer. Gleeson is key, if he can hurl to his best this Summer they have the players around him to go all the way
Wexford - Big year for Davy and the question is has he maximized what Wexford can do already or is their more improvement to be eked out of them. Just the type of side who could build up a serious head of steam but lacking the depth to go all the way perhaps, would need at least 2 of Galway, KK or Tipp to misfire to have a real chance.
Limerick - Similar to Wexford and improving at a rate of knots, another team I can see getting a serious run going but lack the experience of high intensity championship hurling. 2018 probably a year or 2 too soon for them
Cork - A team full of talented but somewhat frustrating hurlers although you could argue a few of them came of age last year. Will give anyone a game but still a bit weak at the back
Clare - Their a dozy enough hurling side, capable but maybe lacking in star quality to mix it at the highest level.
Dublin - Could cause a surprise on their day but unlikely to repeat it. Not up to much this year Iâd say
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7 games minimum for the AI winners is going to be a serious test of a counties panel.
Munsterâs wide open, home games will be crucialâŚLimerick/Clare in particular need to win themâŚdont know what Cork/Waterford will doâŚTipp will be Tipp.
A lot easier in Leinster for Galway/KK and Wexford thats for sure.
Tipp beat ye in extra time
Too easy in Leinster bud too easy itâs a joke
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Im not used to Limerick in cut grass Joe.
How exactly is a footballer kicking a football or a hurler hitting a sliotar a lottery?
Donât know about Waterfordâs form or panel. Relegated in the league (wouldnât necessarily worry about that in isolation). Maurice has left the panel. Shane Bennett apparently not returning to the fold for the championship and joining you stateside for the summer.
And Malachy gave your boys one hell of a beating in 65 sudden death
The return of Tom Devine surely balances that to some extent.
Galway are the reigning All-Ireland champions and will still be favourites as it would appear they didnât care too much about the League. Still, very hard to put together back-to-back All-Irelands, very hard to be as hungry and basically every manager will have been looking at ways to beat them over the winter. Then, I think other teams have come on too from last year. Still have an ability to rack up big points tallies, maybe the lack of goals will hurt them more this year?
Youâd still have Tipp second despite the performance on Sunday. What it does say is that a lot of the newer players theyâve been trying mightnât cut it in Championship⌠Flynn & Heffernan apart. But more worryingly, is the form of some of the older lads⌠serious questions mark over their full-back line going into Championship. I think they need Barrett back there but then thereâs the rumours of his off-field antics and whether he will even feature. But they still need the likes of Noel McGrath, Bubbles, McCormack, Bonner, Callanan. With those back, fit & in-form; they have the best forwards in the country and can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Definitely can be got at though.
Waterford are very hard to gauge; again there are rumours of discontent after Shane Bennett left. They didnât give a fuck about the League, I find McGrathâs attitude very irritating but thereâs no doubt they are 100% focused on Championship. They are a good outfit but we have no idea whether they are any better than last year and I think theyâll need to be. Theyâll beat teams on the way but I donât know if they can beat a Galway or Tipp in a big game; I just donât see them having enough in attack.
Kilkenny will be buoyed massively by the League victory; Iâd say it will do wonders for what is an inexperienced team. How much of a bearing it will have on Championship, I donât know. They would appear to be vastly superior to last year when they looked old and tired, and it was only a matter of time before theyâd be beaten. Now they look fresh and hungry again and will battle against the best. Work rate is incredible, but I think there are still serious doubts over the full-back line and they might rely on TJ & Wally in attack too much. I donât think theyâll win the All-Ireland but theyâll definitely get out of Leinster and who knows what things will look like then. If they get Richie Hogan back to full fitness, that would be huge. Thereâs Murphy & Fennelly too⌠I actually thought Murphy was poor enough last year but at his best, heâs class and Fennelly is certainly a threat even if he has his limitations.
I have great hopes for Limerick but things are going to be so tight in Munster. We really have to sort the wides out, and I worry that Iâm pinning too much of my hopes on Peter Casey. Still, weâll fear no one and Iâd be disappointed if we didnât make it out of Munster. After that, itâs all about momentum.
Cork had a great year last year; if not quite good enough to be All-Ireland contenders. Are they better? Again, hard to know, Meyler had quite a bit of experimentation in the League. The hard ground will suit their forwards, no doubting that they have ability there. Question marks are over their backs again, particularly the spine. Again, hard to judge but personally, Iâm not sure theyâll be as good as last year.
Clare will surely be better than last year. They beat Limerick but almost were afraid to beat Cork & Tipp. Showed flashes of brilliance but hit too many wides and gave away too many frees, as they have done for years. Slight signs of improvement in those areas in the League but their full-back line still looks there for the taking and they havenât been getting as much out of the likes of Conor McGrath as they should. Iâd fancy our chances against them, although Iâd prefer if it wasnât in Cusack Park.
Wexford will make it out of Leinster, but I donât see them as being good enough to win the All-Ireland. Rory OâConnor is a gem and a great addition but I donât think theyâre quite at the level to be beating a Galway or Tipp in a final.
Based on the League, Dublin wonât make it out of Leinster. Hopefully there is a drastic improvement, as I think the Leinster Championship needs a strong Dublin.
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Devine is a very different type of player. Good ball winner and a strong direct type of player. Could have done with him in the All Ireland Final. He caused Galway a lot of problems in the league quarter final in Salthill last year. Devineâs primary focus is apparently (and correctly) his medical studies and imminent career in medicine. This could well be his final crack at it.
Maurice and Shane Bennett if they were utilised correctly are about the best scorers that Waterford have. For all the progress Waterford have made, theyâre a long way off from amassing a winning total against a Galway, Tipperary or a properly focused Kilkenny team.