When is the final on?
Going by reports senans missed glorious goal chances late on.
I was at Pats v Kierans. Poor fare but kierans were good value for the win.
Did Hegarty play?
Ya, was very average
9th of May apparently.
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Itâs a real pity if Casey is out. Iâd love to see him tried at 11 and that would really work v cork in the following weeks game. Heâd find a rack of space against them. Team in training at the moment is Quaid, Hickey, English, Finn, Morrissey, Hannon, Brynes, Lynch, Browne, Tom M, K. Hayes, G. Hegarty, A. Gillane, S. Flanagan and B. Murphy. Realistically weâve only Dowling on the subs that can hit subs which isnât ideal. If gillane were to get injured it would mean a lot of reshuffling.
I think Gillane is a doubt to play against Adare this weekend heâs still carrying a niggling ankle injury.
Hurling Championship begins next weekend, who do we fancy in the various divisions?
Senior A
Saturday 21 April
Ballybrown vs Kilmallock
Adare vs Patrickswell
Sunday 22 April
Doon vs Na Piarsaigh
Saturday 28 April
Na Piarsaigh vs Ballybrown
Sunday 29 April
Patrickswell vs Doon
Kilmallock vs Adare
Iâm not sure what these clubs make of the new format, but from a neutral point-of-view; it will certainly make for entertaining games. Any of those teams are capable of beating each other on any given day, and only 4 can get through. I would see last yearâs semi-finalists as being slightly ahead of Adare & Ballybrown but Adare beat Na Piarsaigh last year, Ballybrown brought the Well to a replay.
Those first two games will be big for Na Piarsaigh- short turnaround from the All-Ireland final, new management, no Peter Casey and against a Doon side who will feel they didnât take their chance in last yearâs semi. I think Na Piarsaigh will be real contenders again if they can get over the first two games intact. Otherwise, Kilmallock should be stronger this year. As for who will drop to the lower tier (Iâm not so sure itâs such a terrible punishment)), I really donât know.
Senior B
Friday 20 April
Monaleen vs Knockainey
Saturday 21 April
Ahane vs Cappamore
Sunday 22 April
South Liberties vs Murroe/Boher
Saturday 28 April
Cappamore vs Monaleen
Sunday 29 April
Murroe/Boher vs Ahane
Knockainey vs South Liberties
From what Iâve seen of these teams, Iâd be surprised if Ahane and Murroe/Boher donât make the quarter-finals. Ahane were only pipped on scoring difference last year, and I know Murroe/Boher were at a lower level last year but theyâve got some excellent young players as well as experienced older heads and Iâd see them as being better than the rest. The likes of Knockainey and Cappamore will fight like dogs to stay up, as always. Itâll be very tight at the bottom again, itâs likely to come down to scoring difference. Wouldnât be surprised if South Liberties were the team.
Premier Intermediate
Saturday 21 April
Kildimo/Pallaskenry vs Bruff
Sunday 22 April
Blackrock vs Feohanagh
Pallasgreen vs Mungret
Bruree vs Garryspillane
Friday 27 April
Mungret vs Bruree
Saturday 28 April
Feohanagh vs Pallasgreen
Garryspillane vs Kildimo/Pallaskenry
Sunday 29 April
Bruff vs Blackrock
Iâm going to avoid making predictions here for reasons of bias but I will say that it should be very close again. No one has ever gone unbeaten in this competition and Effin last year were actually the first team to lose all their games. Usually, 6 of the teams are in with a chance of the semi-finals going into the last round. Garryspillane made the final last year, and have added some really good younger players too but the rest are all in contention too. And that means the relegation fight is also going to be vicious; if you get off to a bad start, it can really affect confidence, etc.
Intermediate Hurling Championship
Group 1
Friday 20 April
Hospital/Herbertstown vs Dromin/Athlacca
Saturday 21 April
Knockaderry vs Croom
Drom/Broadford vs St. Patrickâs
Friday 27 April
Croom vs Hospital/Herbertstown
Dromin/Athlacca vs Drom/Broadford
Saturday 28 April
St. Patrickâs vs Knockaderry
Definitely the weaker of the two groups; Dromin/Athlacca should be winning this group pretty handily. Croom had a bit of a revival at the end of last year and were unlucky not to make a quarter-final. Theyâre an old team but I think they should hvave what it takes to make the quarters (not sure if Allis is back). Tough to call the last spot, wouldnât write off St. Patâs. That first game against Drom will be massive, but I think theyâll have a bit of momentum. Hospital/Herbertstown would look to me to be the weakest in the division.
Group 2
Friday 20 April
Glenroe vs Claughaun/Old Christians
Saturday 21 April
Newcastlewest vs Granagh/Ballingarry
Sunday 22 April
Na Piarsaigh vs Effin
Saturday 28 April
Claughaun/Old Christians vs Newcastlewest
Effin vs Glenroe
Sunday 29 April
Granagh/Ballingarry vs Na Piarsaigh
I would see Glenroe, Effin & G/B as the top three and should all make the semi-final with Dromin/Athlacca. As for actually going up; not much between those teams. If Dromin/Athlacca can sort their defence, I think they have more firepower than the others. The other 3 will be in a fight to go down. This group is a lot stronger imo; 4 of these teams made the knockout stages last year, and 1 was relegated from Premier Intermediate. The other team is Claughaun/Old Christians but theyâre a coming team and I wouldnât be surprised if Na Piarsaigh ended up coming bottom. It would depend on what players are utilised at what stages. I would expect any team here to beat the bottom side in the other group though.
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If nap lose there first two games are they out?
That wonât happen
No, 6 points would get you through.
Itâs hard to be certain what the cut-off will be. Usually these groups are very lop-sided so thereâs teams with 10 & 8 points and then teams with 0/1/2. Youâd imagine these ones will be a bit closer but 4 points could be enough.
If they won 3 games, they would certainly go through. But if they lost 2, and still had to play Patrickswell & Kilmallock in what would probably be must-win games for those sides too, itâs a tough ask.
Do you mind me asking mr Crumbled why do you go from left to right across the lines when naming your team rather than the traditional right to left? eg Hickey (4) before Finn (2), Morrissey (7) before Byrnes (5), Morrissey (12) before Hegarty (10)
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I donât Pay much attention to detail.
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Cool
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NCW wonât be bad at all this year and Iâd tip them to come out of the group. Youâd never know after that. Paul OâGrady is in his second year coaching them and they won the County U21 A Championship the weekend. A little bit of a revival getting going there, theyâve finally decided to get on with things without the footballers and are working with very few dual players, only a small crossover. Young side too, theyâd be my dark horses in the intermediate grade.
Itâs a very very weak division Now.
Dromin/Athlacca should be far and away the strongest side in Intermediate.
Thereâs little or nothing between the better junior A sides and intermediate but there seems to be big gaps between each of the grades after that including the new senior A and B setup
Tbf to athlaca there decent but so many of their players must be around the 30 mark. They havenât brought much through in recent years. The intermediate championship is impossible to get relegated out of it. Itâs a grave yard for clubs. Doon, well, nap, killlmallock, Ballybrown And adare have kicked on. I doubt south liberties or the likes of ahane would walk away with the premier intermediate. I fancy the well to the win the county, bouncers/kildimo In the premier, Glenroe in the intermediate and no idea about junior a.
If Kilmallock keep the side they had last year theyâll win the Junior A. Stakers are putting in a big push and donât look too bad, Eddie OâSullivan is coaching them so theyâd be dark horses. Canât see any of the West teams go up but whoever comes out of it could go far a lĂĄ Rathkeale last year
Saw a bit of Feenagh at the weekend. Jaysus they are huge men and fit looking too.