1. How will Waterford approach the league?
It’s a new era for the Waterford hurlers, but with a familiar twist. Davy Fitzgerald took over as the Déise boss last year, returning to a role which he previously held from 2008-2011. That was his first senior inter-county post and he guided the team to the All-Ireland final in his first season.
Waterford were crowned Division 1 champions last year after a brilliant campaign, beating Cork in the final. Naturally, their league form prompted predictions of a long-awaited Liam MacCarthy success. However, their well-documented struggles with adapting to the round-robin series in the Munster hurling championship tripped them up again in 2022. They notched just one win on the way to another early All-Ireland exit.
It will be interesting to see how Waterford treat the league this year with all that behind them. They will also going into this season without stalwart forward Pauric Mahony, which adds another layer to the challenge that lies before them.
2. Can Laois and Antrim cement their place in the top tier?
Laois finished second from the bottom of Division 1B last year, and Antrim were left in the basement spot. That put the Saffrons in a relegation play-off tie against Offaly, which they won to retain their place in the Division for 2023.
Laois defeated Antrim in the league last year, meaning both teams racked up one win between them in the 2022 campaign. Antrim did give Kilkenny a scare in their opening game, losing out narrowly by 2-15 to 3-9 at Nowlan. A win there could certainly have altered the trajectory of their league run.
Laois suffered a similar fate in their Round 1 tie against Tipperary, falling just four points short of a shock win against another team of hurling royalty.
And since both Laois and Antrim continue to be referred to as ‘breakthrough’ counties, they will be eager to build up more significant wins in order to shake off that tag.
3. How will Kilkenny cope with big absentees in the early phase of 2023?
[image alt="tj-reid-celebrates-after-the-game-with-the-trophy" src="https://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2023/02/tj-reid-celebrates-after-the-game-with-the-trophy-296x197.jpg" width="296" height="197" wp-size="size-medium" credit-url="" credit-source="Laszlo%20Geczo%2FINPHO" credit-via="" credit-via-url="" caption="TJ%20Reid%20celebrates%20after%20Ballyhale%20Shamrocks'%20All-Ireland%20victory." title="" wp-id="wp-image-5984682" class="alignnone" /end]
There’s a new order in Kilkenny as Derek Lyng steps in to take over as manager from the great Brian Cody, who held the role for 24 inter-county seasons. Lyng is likely to begin his stint without some key regulars while some of the Ballyhale Shamrocks players take a break following their All-Ireland triumph.
That means Kilkenny could be without the likes of TJ Reid, Adrian Mullen, Eoin Cody and Evan Shefflin for a brief spell. There are also some departures from the squad for the entire duration of the 2023 season, including Mikey Carey and Conor Browne who are going travelling.
Kilkenny will begin their Division 1B campaign with a trip to Antrim where they will hope to avoid another scare after last year’s league meeting.
4. Can Dublin seize an opportunity?
There’s some freshness in the Dublin camp too, as Micheál Donoghue takes the reins. The 2017 Galway All-Ireland senior winning boss fills the vacancy left by fellow Galway native, Mattie Kenny, at a time when real progress is needed in the capital.
They last reached the Division 1 final in 2011 where they were convincing winners against Kilkenny. The 2022 league was largely positive for Dublin, picking up three wins, one draw and one defeat in their series of games.
They contested the 2021 Leinster SHC final but last year’s competition produced mixed results as they failed to advance out of the provincial series.
A good, solid league could propel Dublin from being a team on the brink of a breakthrough, to shattering the barriers in front of them.
5. Can Tipperary recover from a disappointing 2022 season?
A lukewarm stretch in Division 1B followed by an unfortunate slide in a winless Munster hurling championship makes 2022 a year to forget for Tipperary. Colm Bonnar was “relieved from his duties” after just one year as manager, bringing their season to a miserable close.
Liam Cahill is the new man at the helm, after declining to remain in charge of the Waterford hurlers for a fourth season. The Tipp native is a coach with plenty of success as an underage mentor with his home county, which he will now aim to convert into senior silverware.
While the Premier County will certainly be focused on improving from last year’s form, they will also aim to honour the memory of their deceased teammate Dillon Quirke when they face Kilkenny in a challenge game on 19 February. That match will be played the week after their league clash, and all funds raised will be donated to the Dillon Quirke Foundation.
Get instant updates on the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues on The42 app. Brought to you by Allianz Insurance, proud sponsors of the Allianz Leagues for over 30 years.
