Advertisement
Waterford's Jamie Nagle takes a sideline cut against Cork. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
GAA

GAA throw-in: here’s how they’ll line out in the National Hurling League this weekend

With promotion and relegation races set to go to the wire, here are the line-ups for the final round of NHL games.

DECLAN RYAN HAS made four changes to the Tipperary side ahead of Sunday’s Division 1A meeting with fellow semi-final contenders Cork in Semple Stadium.

Brendan Cummins returns in goal in place of Darren Gleeson, who started last week’s drawn game against Dublin. At the heart of the defence, Paul Curran starts at full-back and Conor O’Mahony at centre-back, with Conor O’Brien and Jamie Gleeson the ones to miss out.

John O’Brien comes into the Tipp attack at corner-forward in place of John O’Neill.

For Cork, Jimmy Barry-Murphy has named an unchanged side to the one which beat Kilkenny last weekend.

Tipperary: B Cummins; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; T Stapleton, C O’Mahony, Pádraic Maher; B Maher, J Woodlock; G Ryan, N McGrath, P Bourke; S Bourke, B O’Meara, J O’Brien.
Cork: D Óg Cusack; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, B Murphy; S Óg Ó hAilpín, E Cadogan, W Egan; L McLoughlin, D Sweetnam; C Lehane, P Cronin, C Naughton; J Coughlan, P O’Sullivan, P Horgan.

***

Galway show four personnel changes for their must-win meeting with Kilkenny in Nowlan Park on Sunday.

Defeat for Galway would leave them in danger of dropping into a relegation play-off against Dublin, and Anthony Cunningham has shuffled the pack from last weekend’s defeat against Waterford.

James Skehill has a dislocated shoulder and so is replaced by Jamie Ryan in goal. Tony Óg Regan returns to his usual berth at wing-back in place of Niall Donohoe, while in midfield, Brian Flaherty replaces Cyril Donnellan.

Iarla Tannian starts at full-forward in place of Bernard Burke, who drops to the bench.

Kilkenny: TBA
Galway: J Ryan; D Connolly, D Collins, G O’Halloran; T Óg Regan, F Moore, J Coen; D Burke, B Flaherty; J Cooney, N Burke, A Smyth; D Hayes, I Tannian, B Daly.

***

With Wexford’s place in the Division 1B relegation play-off inevitable, Liam Dunne has named an experimental side with seven personnel changes for Sunday’s meeting with Laois.

Willie Devereux makes his senior debut and Paul Roche returns for his first start of the season, while Eanna Martin, Eoin Moore, Richie Kehoe, Diarmuid Lyng and Paul Morris are also named in the starting XV.

Wexford: E Martin; W Devereux, P Roche, E Moore; R Kehoe, D Stamp, C Kenny; M O’Hanlon, E Quigley; H Kehoe, J Leacy, D Lyng; P Morris, J Guiney, R Jacob.

Laois: TBA

***

Ollie Baker has made four changes to the Offaly starting XV for their meeting with table-toppers Clare in O’Connor Park on Sunday. Barring a massive swing in points difference, a win for Offaly would see them join Clare in the Division 1B promotion final.

Barry Harding, Dermot Mooney, Sean Ryan and Ger Healion all come into the side which salvaged a dramatic draw against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds last weekend.

Rory Hanniffy is sidelined with a broken thumb picked up in that game, and Stephen Wynne, James Mulrooney and Colin Egan also miss out.

Offaly: J Dempsey; C McDonald, D Kenny, D Franks; B Harding, D Morkan, J Rigney; D Horan, B Murphy; J Bergin, C Mahon, D Mooney; S Dooley, G Healion, S Ryan.

Clare: TBA

***

Antrim have called on two of Loughgiel Shamrock’s All-Ireland winning side to help them keep their promotion chase alive when they host Limerick this weekend.

Goalkeeper DD Quinn and forward Eddie McCloskey come in to the starting XV in place of Seanan McToal and Darren Hamill. The only other change comes in the full-back line where Kieran McGourty replaces John Kerr.

Meanwhile, Na Piarsaigh’s Shane Dowling is the only new face in the Limerick starting XV. Dowling, who has not started in either of the Tribesmen’s last two games, comes in at wing-forward in place of Niall Maher.

Antrim: DD Quinn; A Graffin, C Donnelly, K McGourty; N McAuley, N McManus, M Gettens; K Stewart, P Shiels; S McCrory, M Herron, E McCloskey; PJ O’Connell, C Carson, S McNaughton.

Limerick: N Quaid; S Walsh, R McCarthy, T Condon; W McNamara, D O’Grady, G O’Mahoney; P Browne, J Ryan; S Dowling, D Breen, C Allis; G Mulcahy, N Moran, T Quaid.

National Hurling League fixtures (Sunday, 2.30pm unless stated)

Division 1A:

  • Waterford v Dublin
  • Kilkenny v Galway
  • Tipperary v Cork

Division 1B:

  • Wexford v Laois
  • Offaly v Clare
  • Antrim v Limerick

Division 2A:

  • Wicklow v Carlow
  • Down v Westmeath
  • Derry v Kerry

Division 2B:

  • Roscommon v London (Sunday, 12.30pm)
  • Armagh v Meath
  • Mayo v Kildare

Division 3A:

  • Fingal v Donegal
  • Monaghan v Sligo
  • Louth v Tyrone

Division 3B:

  • Leitrim v Warwickshire
  • Fermanagh v Longford (Sunday, 12.30pm)

State of Play: here’s how the promotion and relegation races look in the National Hurling League

Taking stick: why has Premier’s net worth dropped?

Your Voice
Readers Comments
2
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.