National hurling League 2012

Should be an intersting league this year with the new format. Should throw up some decent games with the threat of relegation for some of the bigger sides in 1A while those in 1B will want promotion and the opportunity to mix it with the big sides next year.

The Cork v Waterford and Galway V Dublin games will be interesting as all have tough encounteres in round 2 (Dublin v Cork while Waterford host Kilkenny and Galway are away to Tipp) and the side with two losses under their belt will be favourites for relegation.

Division 1B should be interesting from a different perspective, all 6 counties have new managers and will be looking to lay down a marker. Wouldn't be all that surprised if Antrim were to put Wexford to the pin of their collars this weekend.


Main fixtures Fixtures Below.

Div1A
Round 1: Feb 25:
Cork v Waterford.

Feb 26:
Kilkenny v Tipperary.
Galway v Dublin.

DIV1B(Div 2)
Feb 25:
Limerick v Clare.

Feb 26:
Offaly v Laois.
Antrim v Wexford.

Joe Canning out for a month to 6 weeks with a shoulder injury. Big blow to LIT's fitz hopes

Cork (SH v Waterford): D Ó Cusack; B Murphy; S McDonnell, S O’Neill; J Gardiner, R Cashman, W Egan; S Ó hAillpín, D Sweetnam; C Lehane, P Cronin, C Naughton; P Horgan, P O’Sullivan, B O’Connor.

I think antrim could cause an upset in belfast, even without the lougheile boys. #workingveryhard.

Wouldn't be one bit surprised if they put Wexford to the pin of their collar. I don't think Liam Dunne is up to this level as a manager

Tipp team v Kilkenny

Gleeson
Donagh Maher, Curran, Micheal Cahill
Shane Maher, Conor O'Mahony, Padraic Maher
David Young, Brendan Maher
Gar Ryan, Noel McG, Adrain Ryan
John O'Brien, Buggy, Pa Bourke

1. Nickie Quaid Effin

2. Paul Browne Bruff

3. Richie McCarthy Blackrock

4. Tom Condon Knockaderry

5. Conor Allis Croom

6. Wayne McNamara Adare

7. Gavin O' Mahoney Kilmallock

8. Donal O'Grady Granagh/Ballingarry

9. James Ryan Garryspillane

10. Declan Hannon Adare

11 David Breen NaPiarsaigh

12 Shane Dowling NaPiarsaigh

13 Seanie O'Brien Patrickswell

14 Niall Moran Ahane

15 Mikey Ryan Murroe/Boher

16 Aaron Murphy Hospital/Herbertstown

17 David Moloney Blackrock

18 Graeme Mulcahy Kilmallock

19 James O'Brien NaPiarsaigh

20 Kevin Downes NaPiarsaigh

21 Mark Carmody Patrickswell

22 Niall Maher Doon

23 Paudie O'Brien Kilmallock

24 Shane O'Neill South Liberties

25 Stephen Walsh Glenroe

26 Thomas O'Brien Patrickswell

The 8/11 available for Kilkenny to beat Tipp this weekend looks like a serious bit of value

1. Patrick Kelly (inagh/kilnamona)

2. Conor Cooney (O'Callaghans Mills)

3. Cian Dillon (Crusheen)

4. D O'Donovan (Clonlara)

5. Brendan Bugler (Whitegate)

6. Patrick O'Connor (Tubber)

7. James McInerney (Newmarket on Fergus)

8. Pat Donellan (O'Callaghans Mills) (Capt)

9. Nikky O'Connell (Clonlara)

10. John Conlon (Clonlara)

11. Sean Collins (Cratloe)

12. Fergal Lynch (Clooney/Quin)

13. Conor Mcgrath (Cratloe)

14. Colin Ryan (Newmarket on Fergus)

15. Cathal McInerney (Cratloe)


No real surprises. While it is a young side the keeper aside all would have played Championship hurling. Big game for the likes of Bugler, Ryan and Collins who will all be under pressure for their places. Would be surprised if we started as selected at 6 and 11

Would fancy Kilkenny to beat Tipp with a bit to spare tomorrow and Offaly should have too much for Laois. Wexford should also account for Antrim but will earn it up north.

The other games could go either way. Have the feeling Clare will get a win tonight, they seem to be a bit ahead of Limerick in terms of prep and it is probably a bigger game for us than them. Don't really like the look of the Galway side and wouldn't be surprised if the Dubs got a win while Waterford will give Cork a closer game than the bookies are predicting

The Puke wrote:Would fancy Kilkenny to beat Tipp with a bit to spare tomorrow and Offaly should have too much for Laois. Wexford should also account for Antrim but will earn it up north.

The other games could go either way. Have the feeling Clare will get a win tonight, they seem to be a bit ahead of Limerick in terms of prep and it is probably a bigger game for us than them. Don't really like the look of the Galway side and wouldn't be surprised if the Dubs got a win while Waterford will give Cork a closer game than the bookies are predicting

Dont know puke, limerick will look to continuity from last year should be a good game cant wait to see it.

Think your right on the dubs, galway although having new management never seem to excite and they are a team that relies on belief and it never seems to come through.

Clare 1-12 to 1-8 up at h/t.

Limerick lead 1-6 to 0-4 after 20 odd minutes but Clare hit 1-8 without reply with Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney to the fore, Limerick haven't been able to live with Clare's running game once Clare got into gear

Cork are hammering Waterford.

Have the feeling it could be a short year for Waterford and their new management team, rumours already doing the rounds that Michael Ryan has lost the dressing room

Clare utterly dominant here in the second half.

2-20 to 1-12 with 8 minutes left

Clare 2-24 Limerick 1-13 full time

The Messiah has landed...

Davy Fitzgerald's Clare blitzed Limerick by 14 points at the Gaelic Grounds in Saturday's one-sided Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B encounter.

The Banner County announced themselves as early favourites for promotion with a clinical display in front of 5390 spectators.

Conor McGrath, operating at full-forward led the way with a scintillating haul of 1-10 on a night when all six of Clare's starting forwards scored from play.

A replay was needed to separate the counties in the recent Waterford Crystal Cup semi-final but it was a vastly different story in this latest clash.

Clare recovered from a sluggish start to run riot and it was young forward McGrath who called the tune with some classy shooting.

Leading by 1-12 to 1-8 at half-time, Clare stepped on the gas after half-time to leave Limerick trailing in their slipstream.

McGrath was brilliant from play and on frees while former U21 star John Conlon was superb in the second half as Clare upped the ante to blow away John Allen's Limerick.

Clare were 11-8 with the bookies before throw-in but made a mockery of those odds to romp home by 13 points what was a repeat of last year's Division 2 final between the two counties.

Clare's early progress under 1995 and 1997 All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Fitzgerald has been impressive, with a place in next Sunday's Waterford Crystal Cup final against Tipperary already secured.

But this was a huge step-up from Clare's previous outings, including that Waterford Crystal semi-final, and the manner of defeat will concern new Limerick boss Allen, who guided Cork to All-Ireland glory in 2005.

Cratloe star McGrath's goal in the 56th minute handed Clare a 2-19 to 1-10 lead and the remainder of the game was played in challenge match mode.

With Limerick forward Declan Hannon ruled out through injury, the scoring responsibility fell on the shoulders of his former Ardscoil Rís schoolmate Shane Dowling.

And Dowling hit five points in the first half as this floodlit encounter swung in Limerick's favour during the opening exchanges, before Clare took over completely.

Niall Moran's second minute goal for Limerick, batted past Patrick Kelly after the full-forward took a pass from captain David Breen, was the difference between the two sides for the first 15 minutes.

With 21 minutes on the watch, Moran popped over a delightful point to hand the hosts a 1-6 to 0-4 lead but they would not score again for 13 minutes as Clare unloaded with a devastating scoring blitz.

The Banner County hit 1-8 without reply to turn a five-point deficit into a six point lead and the scoring purple patch was kickstarted by Colin Ryan's 22nd minute goal.

Free-taker Conor McGrath was involved in the move but the creator was Fergal Lynch with a lovely reverse pass that found Ryan in acres of space, and the Newmarket corner forward did the rest with a blistering finish.

Puke, how many more have ye to put to this panel re: championship? Where have all these Cratloe forwards come from?
Impressive enough start in fairness. Are they night-time hurlers or will daylight distract them?

Fair play puke you called that one well, shocked by it, maybe a kick up the ass required by Limerick.

North Side Gael wrote:Fair play puke you called that one well, shocked by it, maybe a kick up the ass required by Limerick.

Thinly veiled "I'm Pukey's bitch" post from Forum Republican Hardman here. NSG's days of batterings are confined to burgers it seems...

Boxtyeater wrote:

North Side Gael wrote:Fair play puke you called that one well, shocked by it, maybe a kick up the ass required by Limerick.

Thinly veiled "I'm Pukey's bitch" post from Forum Republican Hardman here. NSG's days of batterings are confined to burgers it seems...

LMBO!

Never had issue with Puke and im most certainly not a hardman! lol

Boxtyeater wrote:Puke, how many more have ye to put to this panel re: championship? Where have all these Cratloe forwards come from?
Impressive enough start in fairness. Are they night-time hurlers or will daylight distract them?

That was a relatively strong Clare team, all had played Championship under Sparrow aside from the Keeper and there won't be too many significant changes come championship all the same. You would fancy at least 10 or 12 of that team to start v Waterford in June. The likes of Johnathon Clancy, Diarmuid McMahon, Pat Vaughan, Darach Honan and Caimin Morey will also be in the reckoning, although I have the feeling Honan will be the only one who will get his place come the summer barring injuries to others.

We now have three games in as many week Tipp in the WC final followed by Antrim and Laois and I would presume that davy will use these games to give some of our teenage prospects in the panel a bit more game time to see where they are at. Although I think this year might be slightly early and can see the likes of Seadna Morey, Colm Galvin, Tony Kelly, Stephen O'Halloran and Daire Keane all pushing hard for places next year with another good winter of S&C behind them.

How will Wexford do?

Think i deserve a bit of credit for calling the antrim score, played with greater intensity, hustle and stick work, great win, not going to get carried away though, one game at a time, but definitely moving in the right direction.

North Side Gael wrote:Think i deserve a bit of credit for calling the antrim score, played with greater intensity, hustle and stick work, great win, not going to get carried away though, one game at a time, but definitely moving in the right direction.

I don't think it was much of a shock. I fancied Antrim to give them more than enough of it and delighted to see them win it. Liam Dunne has struck me as an awful ignorant pr1ck since he got the job and can't see him doing much to revive Wexford