Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3.45pm – RTÉ.
Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park, 6pm.
*****
1. Can Antrim score heavily enough to make a dent in Leinster?
Davy Fitzgerald’s first impression of Antrim was that major fitness gains were needed. His remodelling of their hurling system will take some time too.
Waterford struggled for scores in Fitzgerald’s first year back at the helm, going five consecutive games without a goal and averaging 20 points per championship outing. A freer style of play upped that over 28 points per game last year.
Since his appointment, the Saffrons played three League games against Liam MacCarthy opposition and returned 0-14 against Dublin, 0-17 against Offaly, and 0-11 against the Déise in a series of double-digit defeats.
Conal Cunning’s cruciate injury was a particularly heavy blow in that regard but if Antrim are to survive at the top level, they need to compensate.
That’s why the 4-22 against relegated Laois last time out was more encouraging. Can they now trouble the bigger teams for goals or is more time required?
2. Will Dublin bounce back from missing out on league promotion?
After falling short in their Division 1B promotion bid, how Dublin respond to that setback will have a major bearing on their championship ambitions.
Dublin started the league as favourites to reach the final in their division and return to hurling’s top tier, with Niall Ó Ceallacháin taking over as manager after achieving All-Ireland libu success with Na Fianna.
They were ultimately denied after losses to the other frontrunners Waterford and Offaly by two points and one point respectively. They were four points up heading into the final 10 minutes against Offaly, and were five clear of Waterford in the closing stages before losing out.
Dublin have been easing their Na Fianna contingent back into action throughout the league. The likes of Donal Burke, Kevin Burke and Colin Currie from that All-Ireland winning crew could now have a major bearing on Dublin’s championship showing.
*****
3. How will Galway recover from not emerging from Leinster last year?
Qualifying out of Leinster will be the key goal for Galway after falling short last year. Can they also a seven-year gap since their last provincial title? It’s surely a target for Micheál Donoghue, who has tested out 40 players in the league in his second term as manager.
Galway started that campaign in potential relegation trouble after a 12-point defeat to Tipperary. Three wins in a row over Kilkenny, Clare and Wexford placed them in league final contention before heavy defeats to Limerick (12 points) and Cork (12 points) pushed them into a third-place finish and a poor scoring difference of -24. They also conceded 10 goals in the league, the highest in Division 1A.
That mixed run of results puts some doubts over their championship prospects but the emergence of Anthony Burns, and the return of Cathal Mannion from injury could be important in their quest to get back on track in Leinster.
Galway's Cathal Mannion. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
*****
4. Have Kilkenny found the necessary improvements?
Kilkenny’s Leinster stranglehold has extended to five Bob O’Keeffe Cup triumphs in a row. They are eternally in the shake-up for All-Ireland honours having made three of the past six finals. They certainly could have added another final appearance last year only for Clare’s stirring comeback. They will be nursing severe regrets from that second-half collapse.
In finals, they pushed Limerick closer in 2022 than anyone had managed since the Treaty breakthrough. They aren’t far away. But have they got any closer?
The sense is that Kilkenny will be relying on much the same crop this term.
The centre-back and midfield conversations have yet to be decisively settled. In attack, they require the returns of Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody to get back their bite. Similarly, John Donnelly and TJ Reid were major additions at the end of a lukewarm League.
The biggest positive in that regard was Martin Keoghan stepping up his consistency to finish as the league’s highest scorer from play. Can he be the difference-maker?
*****
5. Offaly hurling is on the rise, but can they cope with these tougher tests?
Last June, Offaly enjoyed a golden week which started with a maiden All-Ireland U20 success and ended with a Joe McDonagh triumph to signal a return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2018. Now that they have secured promotion to Division 1A, the question facing Offaly is whether they can carry that momentum into the Leinster championship.
Offaly's Adam Screeney and Oisin Kelly. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Adam Screeney’s return from injury gives them an added boost although he is still being eased back into action. He made his first start of the season for the U20s last weekend, scoring seven points against Laois to help book a Leinster quarter-final spot before being withdrawn in the 41st minute.
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Offaly will be disappointed by their defeat to Waterford in the league final, but will be targeting a top-three spot in Leinster. Key fixtures for them could be their opener against Dublin — who they defeated in the League — and Wexford — who have been relegated — in Round 4.
*****
6. Will Wexford rise to the occasion in championship?
Since Covid, Wexford have been perfectly mid-table. Their round-robin record in Leinster reads six wins, evenly apportioned at two per year, three draws, and six losses.
They have the capability to rise to the occasion, outgunning Kilkenny to avoid relegation in 2023, or sink to it, failing to beat Westmeath in their last two meetings. That trend re-emerged in the League with their two victories away to champions Clare and Limerick en route to relegation.
Keith Rossiter had been dealt a tough hand by injuries and retirements as he rebuilds with a younger nucleus. They still have a significant dependence on Lee Chin to lift them and provide a regular flow of scores. Bar impressive rookie Jack Redmond, their forward line has been chopping and changing throughout the League.
After Saturday’s opener against Antrim, their trip to Parnell Park next Saturday could be most revealing of their prospects for the year.
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What's the key question facing each Leinster team in the hurling championship?
*****
Saturday 19 April
Leinster senior hurling Round 1
*****
1. Can Antrim score heavily enough to make a dent in Leinster?
Davy Fitzgerald’s first impression of Antrim was that major fitness gains were needed. His remodelling of their hurling system will take some time too.
Waterford struggled for scores in Fitzgerald’s first year back at the helm, going five consecutive games without a goal and averaging 20 points per championship outing. A freer style of play upped that over 28 points per game last year.
Since his appointment, the Saffrons played three League games against Liam MacCarthy opposition and returned 0-14 against Dublin, 0-17 against Offaly, and 0-11 against the Déise in a series of double-digit defeats.
Conal Cunning’s cruciate injury was a particularly heavy blow in that regard but if Antrim are to survive at the top level, they need to compensate.
That’s why the 4-22 against relegated Laois last time out was more encouraging. Can they now trouble the bigger teams for goals or is more time required?
*****
2. Will Dublin bounce back from missing out on league promotion?
After falling short in their Division 1B promotion bid, how Dublin respond to that setback will have a major bearing on their championship ambitions.
Dublin started the league as favourites to reach the final in their division and return to hurling’s top tier, with Niall Ó Ceallacháin taking over as manager after achieving All-Ireland libu success with Na Fianna.
They were ultimately denied after losses to the other frontrunners Waterford and Offaly by two points and one point respectively. They were four points up heading into the final 10 minutes against Offaly, and were five clear of Waterford in the closing stages before losing out.
Dublin have been easing their Na Fianna contingent back into action throughout the league. The likes of Donal Burke, Kevin Burke and Colin Currie from that All-Ireland winning crew could now have a major bearing on Dublin’s championship showing.
*****
3. How will Galway recover from not emerging from Leinster last year?
Qualifying out of Leinster will be the key goal for Galway after falling short last year. Can they also a seven-year gap since their last provincial title? It’s surely a target for Micheál Donoghue, who has tested out 40 players in the league in his second term as manager.
Galway started that campaign in potential relegation trouble after a 12-point defeat to Tipperary. Three wins in a row over Kilkenny, Clare and Wexford placed them in league final contention before heavy defeats to Limerick (12 points) and Cork (12 points) pushed them into a third-place finish and a poor scoring difference of -24. They also conceded 10 goals in the league, the highest in Division 1A.
That mixed run of results puts some doubts over their championship prospects but the emergence of Anthony Burns, and the return of Cathal Mannion from injury could be important in their quest to get back on track in Leinster.
*****
4. Have Kilkenny found the necessary improvements?
Kilkenny’s Leinster stranglehold has extended to five Bob O’Keeffe Cup triumphs in a row. They are eternally in the shake-up for All-Ireland honours having made three of the past six finals. They certainly could have added another final appearance last year only for Clare’s stirring comeback. They will be nursing severe regrets from that second-half collapse.
In finals, they pushed Limerick closer in 2022 than anyone had managed since the Treaty breakthrough. They aren’t far away. But have they got any closer?
The sense is that Kilkenny will be relying on much the same crop this term.
The centre-back and midfield conversations have yet to be decisively settled. In attack, they require the returns of Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody to get back their bite. Similarly, John Donnelly and TJ Reid were major additions at the end of a lukewarm League.
The biggest positive in that regard was Martin Keoghan stepping up his consistency to finish as the league’s highest scorer from play. Can he be the difference-maker?
*****
5. Offaly hurling is on the rise, but can they cope with these tougher tests?
Last June, Offaly enjoyed a golden week which started with a maiden All-Ireland U20 success and ended with a Joe McDonagh triumph to signal a return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2018. Now that they have secured promotion to Division 1A, the question facing Offaly is whether they can carry that momentum into the Leinster championship.
Adam Screeney’s return from injury gives them an added boost although he is still being eased back into action. He made his first start of the season for the U20s last weekend, scoring seven points against Laois to help book a Leinster quarter-final spot before being withdrawn in the 41st minute.
Offaly will be disappointed by their defeat to Waterford in the league final, but will be targeting a top-three spot in Leinster. Key fixtures for them could be their opener against Dublin — who they defeated in the League — and Wexford — who have been relegated — in Round 4.
*****
6. Will Wexford rise to the occasion in championship?
Since Covid, Wexford have been perfectly mid-table. Their round-robin record in Leinster reads six wins, evenly apportioned at two per year, three draws, and six losses.
They have the capability to rise to the occasion, outgunning Kilkenny to avoid relegation in 2023, or sink to it, failing to beat Westmeath in their last two meetings. That trend re-emerged in the League with their two victories away to champions Clare and Limerick en route to relegation.
Keith Rossiter had been dealt a tough hand by injuries and retirements as he rebuilds with a younger nucleus. They still have a significant dependence on Lee Chin to lift them and provide a regular flow of scores. Bar impressive rookie Jack Redmond, their forward line has been chopping and changing throughout the League.
After Saturday’s opener against Antrim, their trip to Parnell Park next Saturday could be most revealing of their prospects for the year.
*****
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