AI series (Qualifiers)

[johnneycool]

Draw:

   All-Ireland Hurling Qualifiers Round 1 Draw:

Antrim v Offaly
Waterford v Laois
Tipperary v Kilkenny/Galway
Clare v Wexford

***

First team has home advantage. Games to be played on Saturday, June 28/Saturday, July 5. Fixtures details will be confirmed by the GAA's CCCC in due course and will be announced first on GAA.ie.



Antrim will fancy their chances again with Offaly up in Ballycastle presumably.

One big gun is going to have a long summer between Tipp, Galway and Kilkenny. I bet Eamon O'Shea must think the hurling gods are against him!!

Liam Dunne will fancy his chances against Clare, but think they'll come up short.

Waterford to just have enough against Laois, but it won't be plain sailing..

[AZOffaly]

Every draw was going to be tough for Offaly at the moment, when you consider the options were Laois/Antrim or one of the munster 3. In that context Antrim isn't the worst draw, but away in Ballycastle, presumably, will be too much for this bunch I think. Antrim to win. If it was in Tullamore i'd fancy Offaly.

Laois away to Waterford is another one. I'd nearly fancy Laois if it was in O'Moore park, but Waterford at home should shade it. I wouldn't call a Laois win here a shock though, their formline just took a big upswing with the Galway performance yesterday.

Tipp at home versus Kilkenny or Galway. 2 things come to mind. The first is if this was away, Tipp would be going out. The second is even at that, they'll be hoping Kilkenny beat Galway the next day, and will be hoping for a demoralised Galway coming to Thurles. Too many question marks about Tipp for me, and I think the loser of Kilkenny and Galway will have enough in this one

Clare in Ennis will be too much for Wexford I think. Another one where home advantage may be the deciding factor, in that I think Wexford would really put it up to them in Wexford, but I think Clare will still be dangerous this year, and Wexford won't be able for them in Ennis.

[imtommygunn]

AZ do you think there's a big gap between Offaly and Wexford at the minute? I ask as Wexford hammered Antrim out the gate. I know Antrim beat Offaly in the league but they also should have beat Wexford but in championship it was very different.

Far from an easy game for antrim either. Still - I' d be hopeful about it but was before Wexford too. One of the problems with being an antrim supporter!

[AZOffaly]

I think Wexford would beat Offaly given the state of them at the moment, but probably not by 15 points or the like. However, this game is up in Ballycastle, and our lads haven't proved they have the stomach for that sort of a fight. If it's a grand loose game, our lads might have the wrists, especially if Brian Carroll and Shane Dooley get going, but I have serious concerns if it becomes a tough game.

[imtommygunn]

Yes those two boys would worry me. The Wexford game was very loose but I'm hoping Ryan has learned his lesson and plays it a bit tighter at the back - especially with the space between the opposition half and full forward line.

It's a decent draw for both to be honest as there were quite a few potential drubbings on either side so nice to have a game which is *potentially* winnable.

Tipp against Galway / Kilkenny should be a cracker. Clare probably a bit much for Wexford.

[laoislad]

Happy enough to be playing Waterford.
I rate our chances of winning to be slightly higher than slim but hopefully we give another good account of ourselves like we did against Galway.

[deiseach]

Happy enough to be playing Waterford.
I rate our chances of winning to be slightly higher than slim but hopefully we give another good account of ourselves like we did against Galway.

I think we are heading in opposite directions. Hopefully we're still ahead of ye.

[Asal Mor]

This draw is unfair in a couple of ways. The Munster teams being kept apart makes them more likely to get a softer draw. Also the losers of Galway/KK will enter the draw at the same point as Laois and Offaly,the  teams they beat earlier, but with less of a rest between games. I think Galway have a decent chance of beating Kilkenny but it's unfair that the losers aren't given an extra week off.

[johnneycool]

This draw is unfair in a couple of ways. The Munster teams being kept apart makes them more likely to get a softer draw. Also the losers of Galway/KK will enter the draw at the same point as Laois and Offaly,the  teams they beat earlier, but with less of a rest between games. I think Galway have a decent chance of beating Kilkenny but it's unfair that the losers aren't given an extra week off.

That's the bit I don't get, surely that is wrong or what is the benefit of winning your first game?

[waterfordlad]

Waterford won comfortably enough last night in front of just over 5000 at Walsh Park. Laois got an ideal start with a goal in first minute and game was close up to mid way through first half when Waterford took over and scored 1-5 without reply until half time to lead by double scores. Waterford stretched their lead in 2nd half and then Laois hit 5 points in a row to cut the lead to 6. Waterford finished strongly and 2 frees from Padraic Mahony and a couple of great points from sub Gavin O'Brien finished the game off. Decent performance by Waterford but I thought it would be a closer game as Laois weren't as good as I expected and only hurled well in short spells.

[AZOffaly]

Rumours going around Tipp that Eoin Kelly and Paul Curran and 4 others have been cut from the 26 for the matchday squad. Not due to any disciplinary reasons or anything, just out of the named 26. They'll probably come back in if they get over Galway, but it's hard to see them featuring much any more for Tipp. If Galway win, and the rumours are true, you'd imagine this is the end for both of them. Surprised at Paul Curran especially, because I think Tipp are in trouble at full back. Paudie Maher is not a full back. I think Tipp should have Curran at full back, Paudie Maher at wing back, Conor O'Mahoney at centre, and Brendan Maher in centre field.

[johnneycool]

Big call by O'Shea Sheehy on Curran in particular as they do look to be lacking an out and out fullback, let alone full back cover especially with the amount of big men smattered throughout the forwards for Galway who will be wanting the ball falling out of the clouds rather than into the wide open spaces in Thurles.

[AZOffaly]

That's why I think O'Mahony needs to be in the centre as well. He's from my own club, and I think he has to be played up the centre. He's a good ball winner, and a good distributor, but he's not a runner and wouldn't be able to handle a mobile wing forward or corner forward.

Paudie Maher attacks every ball like a wing back, even at full back, and the odd one he lets over his head are punished when on the edge of the square. I don't think he can change though. Every ball has to be caught, two shoulders given, a tap on the hurley and an 80 yard delivery. When you make a shite of one and #14 bursts the net, you can look a bit daft.

[Milltown Row2]

That's why I think O'Mahony needs to be in the centre as well. He's from my own club, and I think he has to be played up the centre. He's a good ball winner, and a good distributor, but he's not a runner and wouldn't be able to handle a mobile wing forward or corner forward.

Paudie Maher attacks every ball like a wing back, even at full back, and the odd one he lets over his head are punished when on the edge of the square. I don't think he can change though. Every ball has to be caught, two shoulders given, a tap on the hurley and an 80 yard delivery. When you make a shite of one and #14 bursts the net, you can look a bit daft.

Anything like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHbGYbl608g

[Premier Emperor]

Lar starts! 

Lar Corbett returns to the Tipperary team for tomorrow's All-Ireland hurling qualifier against Galway in Thurles. The former Hurler of the Year is one of three changes to the side that lost last month's Munster semi-final to Limerick.

A knee injury kept him out of the county's league campaign although he came on against Limerick for the last 16 minutes in Semple Stadium. He has recently had a trouble-free run of three club matches with Thurles Sarsfields.

He comes into the team in place of Niall O'Meara at left corner forward. The starting centrefield from that day is also replaced. There is a debut for Ronan Maher, brother of full back Pádraic Maher and a very talented young player, who comes in for Kieran Bergin.

James Woodlock, a late withdrawal before the Limerick match, returns to partner Maher and replaces Shane McGrath. There is one further positional switch with captain Brendan Maher and Conor O'Mahony swapping places in the half back line.