THREE BIG GUNS are in the hat for next Monday morning’s round 1 All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier draw.
Last year’s All-Ireland finalists Tipperary and Kilkenny are in the mix, along with Waterford.
What that all means is that three of the last four from the 2016 All-Ireland series are in the qualifier minefield, and face the prospect of winning two matches before reaching a potential All-Ireland quarter-final.
- Pot 1 is made up of the beaten Leinster semi-finalists, Kilkenny and Offaly, as well as the quarter-final losers in the province, Dublin and Westmeath.
- Pot 2 features the beaten Munster semi-finalists, Waterford and Limerick, along with quarter-final losers Tipperary, and the winners of next Sunday’s preliminary round fixture between Laois and Carlow, fixed for O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.
A draw for the four pairings of pot 1 v pot 2 teams will be made, with the avoidance of a repeat pairing.
If Laois beat Carlow, they have three possible opponents – Dublin, Offaly or Kilkenny – as they’ve already played Westmeath in this year’s championship.
A Carlow win could open it up for a surprise All-Ireland quarter-finalist, should they draw Westmeath in round 1.
The match venues will be determined on a home and away basis but it’s understood that Kilkenny don’t owe Tipperary a return fixture, after the counties last met in a back door clash at Nowlan Park in 2013.
Pot 1 – Kilkenny/Offaly/Dublin/Westmeath
Pot 2 – Waterford/Tipperary/Limerick/Laois or Carlow.
The four winners of the round 1 fixtures will progress to round 2 of the All-Ireland qualifiers, where two quarter-finalists will be determined, to join the beaten Leinster and Munster finalists.
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