The National Hurling League has reached the Quarter Final stage this Weekend with Dublin v Limerick down for Croke Park Saturday afternoon at 5PM. On Sunday its Offaly v Tipperary in Tullamore, Cork v Wexford in Pairc Ui Rinn, and Waterford v Galway in Walsh Park.
Hard to see anything but a comfortable win for Tipp, Cork should survive against Wexford, Waterford v Galway and Dublin v Limerick a toss up.

clonjon (Dublin) - Posts: 665 - 26/03/2015 11:51:52    1706705

Think Dubs will be beat Limerick , purely because of quality of opposition they have faced so far in league , however far from a done deal as HQ really does bring the jeckel n hyde out in us , plus Im sue Limerick will feel they owe us one , Dubs by a couple of points . Tipp win , Cork win no surprise there , maybe the one shock if you can call it that will be Waterford doing Galway .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 26/03/2015 12:28:06    1706718

Dublin v Limerick (toss of a coin, really intriguing fixture, slightly favour the dubs I think)
Offaly v tipp Tipp
Waterford v Galway (tie of the round for me, should be a great game. If Waterford are as clinical as last week I think they'll win)
Cork v Wexford (hopeful for a big performance from us, we have an outside chance but I can't see us getting a result)

Kilkenny v Clare(I'd like to see Clare finding themselves again but with the ballyhale crew back you can't bet against the cats)

We'll start to see where everyone is at now. provincial championships will be upon us before we know it.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2623 - 26/03/2015 12:46:41    1706723

It's hard to look past Tipp, Cork, Dublin & Galway.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1780 - 26/03/2015 13:05:28    1706726

Limerick - Good side - serious intentions this year. Will be a tight contest
Tipp - Expect Offaly to provide a good challenge for 50 minutes but Tipp are the best team in the Country and are in form.
Cork - 2nd best team in the Country and in form. Wexford finished off the league campaign really poorly after giving themselves a real opportunity of promotion so their performance in this game will be important despite the result
Waterford - Got promoted out of a fairly competitive division so they have momentum. Home advantage will be a factor. They are straight into a Munster semi-final so they will want extra competitive games.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1414 - 26/03/2015 13:12:39    1706730

Dublin - targeting the league. Limerick aren't.
Cork- too good for Wexford. Comfortable win.
Tipp- As above
Wateford - fittest team in ireland at the mo. Counts for a lot in March.

Nothing gets going until the first of May. Pitches will be hardening up. Better weather for better quality training. The hard slog is out of the way. Until then you just have matches that have to be fulfilled.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 26/03/2015 13:34:29    1706736

I'd expect Tipp to have too much for Offaly at this stage but Whelahan seems to be making progress. Cork should be too good also but you never know with Wexford. Waterford & Galway should be a close contest. Dublin need to redress their horror show last time out in Croker.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 26/03/2015 14:09:36    1706747

Mike03... Have Limerick (management/panel) actually come out and said they don't care about the league or is that something you've come up with yourself?

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 26/03/2015 14:17:40    1706755

Dublin- Limerick should give them a good game but I can't see a Limerick win. Should be a close game.
Cork- Wexford looking to make up for their defeat against Waterford but Cork to win eventually.
Galway- Waterford seemed very fit and hungry to win the last day but Galway to win narrowly.
Tipp- Tipp to demolish Offaly by 14/15 pts.

mayo_hurler (Mayo) - Posts: 113 - 26/03/2015 14:47:38    1706765

What does it actually mean to target the league? That you prioritize the league over championship or what?

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1414 - 26/03/2015 14:53:21    1706767

Ban it's that you put out your strongest team available every week. And not, as Limerick have done this year and last, experiment with new players and new positions for must win games. Declan Hannon to centre back being an example of that. Tipp for example have more or less the same team out week after week. We have made 6 and 7 changes for every match.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 26/03/2015 15:32:49    1706780

Mike Tipp have experimented in every game, B Maher at 11, have played a heap of new players M Breen (top player) John McGrath, Joe O Dywer, R Maher, N O Meara the last two played in league last year but still experimenting. Limerick need to start taking the league serious 1B is doing nothing for Limerick hurling and will do nothing to develop a young minor only give them a false sense of the pace of the game. Anyone who thinks the league don't matter just look at KK record.

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 26/03/2015 16:26:59    1706799

It's like O'Gara said in his autobiography about what at the time was the magners league. No senior player gets up for games like that. They just can't. He said Magners league/pro 12 games were for lads trying to make the breakthrough and players coming back from injury. The hurling and football leagues are exactly that. In any grade, not just inter county.

O'Gara stated his season revolved solely around the Heineken cup. And the same way the GAA season solely revolves around the championship. If there was no football match Saturday you would have about 5000 at the match. That's a league 1/4 final. Limerick will probably have 1000 there at most. If Dublin and Limerick meet in an All Ireland 1/4 final there will be minimum 20,000 at it. As Eamon O Shea has been saying after every Tipp win over the last few weeks - it's March. Means nothing. His words, not mine.

And as for the players, watch back Seamus Hickey's interview after the loss last August to Kilkenny and see his devastation. Or Aidan O Shea coming off the field in tears after losing to Kerry. Has anyone seen any player ever come off the field like that after losing a league match?

The league is handy for something to go to during the Spring and handy for players to get fit. Same as pre season friendlies in July and August in England. That's about it really.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 26/03/2015 17:01:28    1706821

For someone that doesn't have any time for the league you certainly seem to enjoy talking about it.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 26/03/2015 17:11:57    1706826

Tipp have named teams and then made a few changes on match day before throw in.
I hope Offaly give us a good rattle on Sunday and they normally do in Tullamore.

Its not a happy place for Tipp.
I remember been there at games where we lost back in 2004 i think and also the year we won the AI in 2010 we needed an injury time goal to beat them from a free.
Callinan If I remember correctly got it.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 26/03/2015 17:14:15    1706828

Ah Mike. You'd swear that Limerick are the only team experimenting. I think you're just making excuses as to why Limerick have been in 1b for the last few years and maybe making a preemptive excuse if Dublin beat ye.
You talk about experimentation. Dublin have been playing Rushe at FF, PK at 6, Keaney at 5, Carton at FB. Lots of young lads have been given game time. No Dubs or posters from other counties have come on here stressing the fact that they are experimenting. The fact is that every county does.
Be happy you're in a quarter final and be happy if you win it. And you can be disappointed if you lose. And if you lose don't be coming on saying things like "ah sure we're not taking the league seriously".
Obviously Championship is more important, but there is great merit to the league too.
BTW I have great respect for Limerick hurling. Think they should make a good crack at the AI this year.
Hope the game is a cracker.

Plasticman (Dublin) - Posts: 26 - 26/03/2015 17:25:21    1706830

Laughable stuff mike, history books don't lie just have a look back at league winners/runner ups and the all Ireland winners/runner ups a and you will see the trend. You mentioned two players in Hickey and O Shea, just wondering would either player not want to win a league medal as they both have won very little. I have yet to meet a player that goes out to loose a match. Winning is a habit and a very good habit, let it be a friendly in Jan to an all Ireland in sept.

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 26/03/2015 17:28:12    1706831

Limerick will be putting out there strongest team saturday and will want to win!

Dublin Limerick.. Limerick (going with the heart) returning players should give us a big boost!
Tipp Offaly.. Tipp
Cork Wexford.. Cork
Waterford Galway.. Waterford. there hurling is very sharp for this time of the year and home advantage should see them over.

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 26/03/2015 19:21:14    1706867

I have already said I think if Limerick can hurl like they did at the end of last year they could win the league, the way they have performed and treated the league this year is very unfair on there supporters, they should of being hoping off the ground to get out of 1B and drive on from the KK game and send out a real sign that they have arrived at the top table after being so close V KK instead I'm still unsure how they will perform from day to day. Would like to see Limerick win but think maybe Dublin. Cork should win,Tipp and I'll go for Waterford to win I liked the way they have gone about there business so far, think they are being wrote off and can see them knocking out a big gun in championship

therealtmo (Tipperary) - Posts: 1292 - 26/03/2015 19:59:20    1706880

By right they should do away with the league and get the early rounds of county championships played off during the Spring. Then go straight from that into the inter county championship. It would give meaningful matches from Feb onwards instead of being nearly halfway through the year before the season actually starts.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 26/03/2015 20:04:20    1706883