We had limerick hopping to our tune like sausages in a pan without even exerting ourselves. They needed championship intensity a favorable referee and the lottery of a shoot out to beat us in their own patch.
Clareās starting 15 and a seasoned 1a /championship team v Limerickās B team and we battered ye in 2nd gear 
It was a training exercise for us. When it was about skill and touch the score was 10 points to 2. Let that sink in. When we bring championship intensity to our game our superior skills as evidenced in Limerick will be more than enough to compete.
The contenders:
Tipp
KK
Galway
The chasing pack:
Wexford
Limerick
Clare
Cork
Waterford
The also-rans:
Offaly
Dublin
Laois
Antrim
You couldnāt call Galway. Stomped into the championship last year after walloping Tipperary and winning the league, whereas theyāre sleepwalking into it this year after losing to Wexford in a quarter final. No doubting their point-scoring ability, but they have no real idea what form they are in, or if they can trust any new players blooded this year. Offaly have them at home in the first round and if the Biffos have anything going for them will be gunning to eke out a result here. An upset there and the whole thing could well go tits up.
Waterford probably arenāt as bad as weāve seen in the league, but they have a truly awful draw in Munster, off to Limerick twice and Ennis once.
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I think the lack of home games could see Waterford lose out , no harm either as I think a new management team could bring them to that next step
Wex - league form is clearly skewed, some teams such as Wexford taking the league seriously to build a team, teams like Galway and Waterford not taking it seriously at all so ranking teams for the cship based on league performance is very skewed
Playing Tipp and Limerick in Limerick is a serious drawback. Waterford donāt have a great record there.
Galway actually sleep walked through a lot of last years Championship. They werenāt even arsed about trying to score a goal. Granted they only had to be in about 2nd gear to see off Offaly, Dublin and Wexford. They didnāt play particularly well against Tipperary in the semi final but got the job done. This Galway team is shaping up to be one of the great teams. Iād expect them to go up another gear or two on anything they showed last year.
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Last year they were absolutely walloping teams at this time of year, think the lowest score they put up was 3-13 in their one loss against Wexford. This time round they havenāt put up more than 25 points on anyone, not even 14-man Offaly. Not saying it isnāt possible, but they need to go up a good few gears.
Given the quality of underage hurlers coming through in Galway and the age profile of the current side you would think that Galway are going to be a force well into the next decade.
Have the feeling that they might struggle to put back to back all irelands together though. Canāt recall any team over the last 50 years or so who managed to win two in a row after that group of players maiden A/I or after going more than a decade or so without one.
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Galway 1987/88 only had Sylvie Linnane and Conor Hayes as starters from 1980.
Galway always have talent but it didnāt win them much for nearly three decades. The question is how long it takes their rivals to figure out a response to their style of play. Only this rejuvenated Kilkenny defend aggressively from the front as Galway do and can play with the same directness.
Tipp/Cork/Clare all play the same sort of open windy hurling that can shred the more physical sides on occasion but more often runs aground against them.
Waterford/Wexford for their part are not set up to score and will only beat Galway if their man to man defending gets an awful lot better than it has been to date.
edit: Limerick are Limerick. No one knows what theyāll do on any given day. Not even themselves.
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Edit my bollox ā¦ you wrote that post just to have a pop off Limerick you little cunt.
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The lack of goals may have given that effect but if say that side burned more watts in one season than MacIntyres team did in 4 years. Savage work rate across the lines.
If they can get themselves back to that level of work rate theyāll be hard to beat. Not too sure if they have uncovered many during the league, the club championship might lift the veil on a few late comers. I see Gearoid Macs brother Sean rattled in 2-2 at the weekend.
What age is Sean?
22 maybe? Same age as Whelan Iād say
Not sure any of the noobs have staked a claim to start. Concannon looks like he could be a good one. There seem to be high hopes for Loftus though I havenāt seen anything to convince me. I like Shane Cooney, possible replacement for Harte. Killeen in at corner back and move Tuohy out to wing is another option? Iām not a fan of Tuohy. Gives away too many frees. Like you say though, all depends on the hunger.
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Tuohy was having a great game at midfield against Tipp in 2016 until he went off injured in first half. I genuinely believe that and Joes injury cost Galway the all Ireland that year.
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Tipp have been very lucky in that regard. Henry in 2010 and then Joe & Touhy in 2016.
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