Saturday
NHL Division 1B
Tipperary v Dublin
Throw-in: 5pm. Venue: Semple Stadium. How to watch: Live on GAAGo. Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
Two of the teams to whom the league is of genuine interest, which ought to make for a decent bit of a ding-dong at least. Dublin are whizzing through the early part of the year playing to a settled style, with Eoghan O’Donnell imperious at full-back and Donal Burke popping up where he pleases to keep the scores rolling. For Tipp, Jake Morris and Mark Kehoe are finding their feet at last and Jason Forde is in Hurler of the Year form. Dublin’s record in Semple is terrible but they could well dig out a result here.
Verdict: Dublin
Sunday
NHL Division 1A
Galway v Wexford
Throw-in: 2pm. Venue: Pearse Stadium. How to watch: Deferred coverage on TG4. Referee: John Keenan (Limerick).
In a sense, Henry Shefflin saw all he needed to see when Galway came through that rollicking second half against Limerick a fortnight ago. League is league, no trophies lifted, etc, etc. But a Martian dropping in on the last 25 minutes of that game could see both sides were bulling to win it and it was Galway who came out on top. They have a base to build from now and it won’t be any great surprise if they take the momentum to let the air out of Wexford’s bubble here.
Verdict: Galway
Offaly v Clare
Throw-in: 2pm. Venue: Tullamore. Referee: Kevin Jordan (Antrim).
Offaly have found the undercurrent flowing altogether too quickly on their return to the top level. Hard to see them getting much change out of Clare, who are keen to get their season started in earnest after losing their opening two games. Some suggestion Tony Kelly might even be back in contention for some minutes.
Verdict: Clare
Limerick v Cork
Throw-in: 3.45pm. Venue: Gaelic Grounds. How to watch: Live on TG4. Referee: Seán Stack (Cork).
Everyone presumes Limerick will snap back into shape at some stage and will mince some collection of poor unfortunates the day they do. Plenty imagine Cork could fit the bill here. No Gearóid Hegarty, of course, but Cian Lynch could well make his first outing of the year. Cork’s position at the top of the league is clearly false, given they have played the two weakest teams. But they have been gelling together pretty well and while this will provide a clearer idea of where they stand, they will fancy their chances of subverting expectations.
Verdict: Cork
NHL Division 1B
Antrim v Waterford
Throw-in: 1pm. Venue: Corrigan Park. Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
Antrim have given both Kilkenny and Dublin their fill of it without getting over the line on either occasion. They are likely to find Waterford in a much less charitable mood. Liam Cahill’s teams down to the years have never had any squeamishness about running up big scores on outmatched opponents. Hard to see them starting now.
Verdict: Waterford
Kilkenny v Laois
Throw-in: 2pm. Venue: Nowlan Park. Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).
Hard to see what good these fixtures are doing the likes of Laois, Antrim and Offaly. Or the teams who are filleting them week after week. The changing of the leagues a few years back saved the haves a world of hassle and sentenced the have-nots to a string of ritual beatings. Kilkenny will walk this, possibly not to the extent Waterford did a fortnight ago but with no particular problem either.
Verdict: Kilkenny
