Hurling Qualifiers 2007

[Kerry Mike]

Hurling Qualifiers fixtures

The details of the Hurling Qualifiers fixtures have been announced.

Liam McCarthy Cup

June 30th

Round 1
Group 1A
Antrim v Clare, Casement Park
Laois v Galway, Portlaoise

Group 1B
Dublin v Cork, Parnell Park
Limerick or Tipperary v Offaly, Gaelic Park/Thurles

July 7th

Round 2
Group 1A
Antrim v Laois, Casement Park
Clare v Galway, Cusack Park

Group 1B
Dublin v Limerick or Tipperary, Parnell Park
Cork v Offaly, Pairc Ui Chaoimh

July 14th

Round 3
Group 1A
Galway v Antrim, Pearse Stadium
Laois v Clare, Portlaoise

Group 1B
Offaly v Dublin, Tullamore
Limerick or Tipperary v Cork, Gaelic Ground/Thurles

[The Biff]

What was the logic for devising these two groups?  To deliberately give Galway an easy ride?  To give Antrim their only possible chance of an Ulster rep in the Quarter Finals?

Group B has (or will have) all four losing semi-finalists from Leinster and Munster.

Group A has the two beaten first round losers, i.e. proven to be "inferior" to their conquerors in Group B.  Then there's Galway, who are "unproven" at all.  Finally there's Antrim, who have beaten London and Down.

No matter what "Lip-Service" is paid to helping up the teams outside the "Big 8", it's draws like this that prove the real priorities and powers are otherwise focussed.

[GalwayBayBoy]

What was the logic for devising these two groups?  To deliberately give Galway an easy ride?  To give Antrim their only possible chance of an Ulster rep in the Quarter Finals?

Group B has (or will have) all four losing semi-finalists from Leinster and Munster.

Group A has the two beaten first round losers, i.e. proven to be "inferior" to their conquerors in Group B.  Then there's Galway, who are "unproven" at all.  Finally there's Antrim, who have beaten London and Down.

No matter what "Lip-Service" is paid to helping up the teams outside the "Big 8", it's draws like this that prove the real priorities and powers are otherwise focussed.

Hang on though. Offaly and Dublin hardly proved much in getting to a Leinster semi-final. Dublin got straight in and Offaly only had to beat a terribly inexperienced Laois team.

Galway were always due to meet the losers of the Clare v Cork game so we could have had Cork if they slipped up and nobody anticipated the unrest in the Clare camp before the Summer.

Antrim IMO are as good as Dublin and not a million miles from Offaly. Clare even in their current state are probably better than both of them.

One thing you could say is that the two losing Munster semi-finalists should be maybe kept apart.

[INDIANA]

Antrim IMO are as good as Dublin

not  ahope mate- i know they beat us in the league - but on a neutral venue we'd take them by 8/9 points .
You have to admit galway get a soft draw every year. guaranteed to make the last 8 every year despite underachieving for the last 15 years

[GalwayBayBoy]

Antrim IMO are as good as Dublin

not  ahope mate- i know they beat us in the league - but on a neutral venue we'd take them by 8/9 points .

Yes but they still beat you in the league so to say you'd beat them no bother by 8 or 9 points anywhere else is a tad arrogant don't you think? Besides if you met them in the qualifiers there's a good chance you'd have to go up and play them on their home patch like we have to do.

guaranteed to make the last 8 every year despite underachieving for the last 15 years

We've also reached two All-Ireland finals in the past six years. Considering that Waterford for example still haven't even reached one yet despite being years on the road shows you how difficult it is to win an All-Ireland. Don't get me wrong though we probably should have done better than that.

[INDIANA]

not trying to be arrogant-it's my honest opinion.
I just look at galway-and they don't help themselves- been invited into the leinster championship and they turned their noses at it. They would get more games- and would know more baout their team before the knock-out stages- as it happens i think galway will go into an all-ireland quarter final having learnt absolutely nothing- because that is the softest draw for them in years- to the extent i'd give antrim chance of making the last 8 with clare up shit creek at the moment.

[AZOffaly]

Indanamajaysus how can Offaly be away to both Tipperary/Limerick AND Cork?? For fcuk's sake, our only home tie is against Dublin?

How are these fixtures arrived at? Rubbish.

Limerick or Tipp should be away to Offaly, as should Cork. Dublin should be at home to Offaly and Cork. Cork should be at home to Limerick/Tipp.

[GalwayBayBoy]

not trying to be arrogant-it's my honest opinion.
I just look at galway-and they don't help themselves- been invited into the leinster championship and they turned their noses at it. They would get more games- and would know more baout their team before the knock-out stages- as it happens i think galway will go into an all-ireland quarter final having learnt absolutely nothing- because that is the softest draw for them in years- to the extent i'd give antrim chance of making the last 8 with clare up shit creek at the moment.

To be honest I don't think Clare will be that bad and I expect it will be tough for us to go down to Ennis and beat them there. I think we'll just about manage it though.

Clare have a banana skin in going up to Antrim alright but I think they'll be too strong in the end for them.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Indanamajaysus how can Offaly be away to both Tipperary/Limerick AND Cork?? For fcuk's sake, our only home tie is against Dublin?

How are these fixtures arrived at? Rubbish.

Limerick or Tipp should be away to Offaly, as should Cork. Dublin should be at home to Offaly and Cork. Cork should be at home to Limerick/Tipp.

The two weaker sides in each group should have two home games.

In our group both Antrim and Laois have two home games which is only right.

[AZOffaly]

That's what I thought the situation was. Or in some weird parallel universe are Offaly better than either Limerick/Tipp or Cork.

Remember Limerick beat them by about 18 points in the relegation playoff.

I don't think we are 18 points worse than Limerick, but we are certainly, on paper, at least 3rd, if not 4th best in that group.

[slow corner back]

The draw is certainly as close to perfect as Antrim could have dreamt of , however, and its a big however we will still be big underdogs against Clare and even the Laois game is eminently loseable for us, they relegated us two years ago. As for Galway away it will just be a nice weekend in the west during the July holidays.

By the way Indiana when was the last time Dublin beat Antrim by six or seven on any pitch? We have not lost to Dublin in the league for a good few years now.

[Craigyhill Terror]

Antrim IMO are as good as Dublin

not  ahope mate- i know they beat us in the league - but on a neutral venue we'd take them by 8/9 points .

Based on what, exactly? The two counties are about level, taking into consideration Antrim thoroughly outplayed Dublin (who were missing some players, as were Antrim) in the League at Casement Park

[johnneycool]

I suppose you've three perceived weak teams, Dublin, Antrim and Laois and two groups, so one group will always have a 'weaker section' even though the biffo's could be lumped in there as well although they did give Laois a thumping.

In reality though Galway, Clare will come out of one group and Cork plus the losers of Limerick/Tipp the other but it'd be great to have the odd upset once in a while.

[INDIANA]

i genuinely think antrim have a chance against clare in casement.
clare are missing griffin-carmody-nugent-quinn etc. i don't see where the clare scores are going to come from and with casement abit of a fortress for antrim i think this is the best chacne they are ever going to get. I know from on the ground in clare they are in absolute disarray.

[AZOffaly]

That's true Indiana. Clare are very scattered at the moment, and would be prime for an upset. I just don't think Antrim are good enough to take the chance. I'd say Clare will win by 4 or 5 points.