I LOVE THE smell of sliotars in the morning.
The summer of hurling at last gets going this weekend with the start of provincial championship action in Leinster and Ulster.
Will Kilkenny prove the doubters wrong with another All-Ireland win despite their problems, can Tipp make it two on the bounce or will we be treated to a winner from the chasing group of Dublin, Waterford, Galway and Cork?
Here’s what we learned from the league campaign.
1. Conal Keaney is no fool
The Ballyboden St Enda’s clubman’s decision to row in with the capitals hurlers and turn his back on what the footballers had to offer was rewarded against Kilkenny in the hurling decider on May Day. Dublin captured their first hurling league title since 1939 with a memorable win over a Kilkenny side that scored just one point from play all afternoon.
Whether or not Anthony Daly’s troops can carry that form into the championship and challenge for provincial honours is yet to be seen.
2. With O’Dwyer on board Dublin can make capital gains
If Keaney is on the ball, so too is Ryan O’Dwyer. Formerly of Tipperary, O’Dwyer – man-of-the-match in the league final – hit the ground running for Dublin against the Dub Stars only a few days into the year and continued in the same vein throughout the league – a sharp piece of work in the January ‘transfer’ window from Daly.
3. Bourke is an ace in Ryan’s pack
The league was all about the Dublin hurlers, and rightly so. However, there were a number of teams in with a shout of making the decider prior to the final round of matches.
Tipperary could have done so if they’d beaten Wexford and other results had gone their way. The same goes for Galway. Tipperary started sluggishly but laid down a marker against Galway in Salthill. Shane Bourke netted three times for the Premier County and added four points for good measure. The JK Brackens forward will surely make some impact on this year’s championship – an ace up Declan Ryan’s sleeve.
4. Galway need Canning, now more than ever
A disjointed display in the pivotal Allianz Hurling League tie against Waterford at Walsh Park highlighted the magnitude of the work John McIntyre’s men have to do to get ready for the championship.
The importance of the talismanic Joe Canning cannot be understated but Galway, who were outmuscled and outplayed in a number of league matches, have to learn to win primary possession under the high ball or Canning will have no impact from here on.
5. Premier pot the reward for Rebels
Sean Óg O hAilpín does not expect the Cork hurlers to win any silverware in 2011 after admitting that the team is going through a rebuilding phase. From what was evidenced in the league, you couldn’t argue with the former All-Ireland winning captain. Denis Walsh’s charges face Tipperary in the Munster championship in just over two weeks time and that has surely been their focus – the league certainly wasn’t.
6. There’s still fire in Wexford bellies
You would hope that Wexford will have a decent time of it in the championship after their never-say-die attitude kept them in Division One. The Slaneysiders drew with Tipperary on the last day, and that, coupled with Kilkenny’s defeat of Offaly meant the Faithful County slipped down a tier.
“There have been a lot of post mortems on Wexford hurling in the last week or 10 days,” boss Colm Bonnar said in the aftermath of the stirring win over Cork at Wexford Park. “But I felt we’d made steady improvement.” They had. However, you would fear for Wexford in Leinster, especially with a likely meeting with Kilkenny on the cards.
7. There’s tougher tasks ahead for Treaty stickmen
Donal O’Grady has worked his magic with Limerick and the Treaty men are back at hurling’s top table. The standard in Division Two was pretty poor throughout the campaign and despite the fact the final against Clare was an entertaining and high-scoring affair, the level of hurling was far from what is required to keep your head above water in Division One.