Hurlers staring relegation in the face.

[Lone Shark]

And so, after all the fuss of the hurling league changing to a ridiculously contrived nine teams, it's looking like we're not going to make that particular grouping, even if it was shaped to suit us. Realistically, in order to escape the bottom two, it now looks like we'd have to beat Clare and get some form of result in Waterford, unless something unusual happens (Cork lose to both Wexford and Clare) otherwise we are guaranteed to be in the bottom two. I'm not sure if the format is that the four teams play off, or whether the bottom team is down automatically, but either way with Dublin's resurgence, it's looking like we'd have to beat either Limerick or Galway to stay up. In the other division, Antrim will finish bottom, while the Dbs should end up with five points and possibly even more if they can get anything out of their trip to Limerick, something they have every chance of.

Kilkenny will end up on either five or seven, Tipp will have either 6 or 8, so that leaves Limerick or possibly even Galway. Galway have four points on the board, but their two remaining games are this Sunday at home to Tipp and then away to Kilkenny (with the Ballyhale lads back) Two defeats there is quite plausible, probably under 2/1, in which case we'd find ourselves playing off with Galway for survival.

Not loving our chances of that either - basically it's either beat both clare and Waterford to survive, or else beat Galway. Div 2 beckons I suspect.

[Plain of the Herbs]

The two fifth-placed teams play off, as you say. The loser isn’t automatically relegated. Rather, they play off with the division 2 winners for a place in the nine-team division 1.

At the moment you’d have to say Offaly will finish fifth. Tough matches to come against Clare and Waterford, and even one win from these looks like it will be insufficient. A growing injury list with no time for recovery looks like we could be facing 2004 all over again, with matches against Dublin and Laois to come and one win required to save the day. While the fifth place play-off can take place straight away, the losers will face a wait for the Division 2 final to take place. There’s little doubt that Laois will win this. A relegation play-of scrap is not ideal preparation for a Leinster first round tie a few weeks later.

Hopefully we won’t have to endure the sight of Offaly hurlers sarcastically applauding opposition scores as happened in Portlaoise in 2004.

[Kevin]

Could I bother you to elaborate on the last sentence of your post:

'Hopefully we won’t have to endure the sight of Offaly hurlers sarcastically applauding opposition scores as happened in Portlaoise in 2004.'

Sounds like some sort of points differential situation, but don't want to assume anything.

Important for us to hang in with the big guns in any case. Beating up on the tier 2 crowd will hardly help us.

[Lone Shark]

The two fifth-placed teams play off, as you say. The loser isn’t automatically relegated. Rather, they play off with the division 2 winners for a place in the nine-team division 1.

I thought it was the winners played off with Laois? Surely it makes sense that that would be the way, after all there will be eight teams automatically safe, so surely there's only room for one more out of the rest? If two teams survive that would be a ten team division one.

[Mikey]

You're right LS. The two 5th placed teams play each other with the loser relegated, along with the two 6th placed teams. The winner of the play off then has to play the div 2 champions in order to stay up. I wouldn't fancy our chances against any potential opposition from 1B.

[Plain of the Herbs]

The two fifth-placed teams play off, as you say. The loser isn’t automatically relegated. Rather, they play off with the division 2 winners for a place in the nine-team division 1.

I thought it was the winners played off with Laois? Surely it makes sense that that would be the way, after all there will be eight teams automatically safe, so surely there's only room for one more out of the rest? If two teams survive that would be a ten team division one.

Sh!t, you're right.
Well shazbott anyway.
Galway v Tipperary is a key match tiis weekend. A Galway win would propel them out of danger and Dublin back into it. A Tipperary win sees Galway needing to go to Nowlan Park seeking a win to survive.

[Lone Shark]

On current form I'd nearly expect Dublin to get something out of the trip to Limerick, in which case it'd be Limerick that would be drawn into in the event of a home win in Pearse Park, but even so.

Right now we'd be outsiders against either Dublin or Limerick anyway. Funnily enough deep down I'd nearly prefer to face Limerick in that situation - but then I think I was just very impressed with Dublin last Sunday to be honest.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Could I bother you to elaborate on the last sentence of your post:

'Hopefully we won’t have to endure the sight of Offaly hurlers sarcastically applauding opposition scores as happened in Portlaoise in 2004.'

Sounds like some sort of points differential situation, but don't want to assume anything.

Important for us to hang in with the big guns in any case. Beating up on the tier 2 crowd will hardly help us.

Towards the end of the Offaly – Dublin league game in Portlaoise in 2004 (the one played before the NFL semi final against Kildare) which Dublin won by 20 points, an Offaly player was caught in possession, the ball was moved quickly across the pitch and Dublin scored a point. The Offaly player who was ‘robbed’ tapped his hand off the bas of his hurl in mock applause. I don’t know whether many spotted it, but it struck a cord with me.

And no, I’m not prepared to name that player. Suffice to say that he was culled in the December revolution late last year.

[Kevin]

Sounds ugly enough.

Thanks for that.

[Loughers]

I'm with LS on this on. I'd rather Limerick than Dublin. We should have had them beat out the gate in the first half in Tullamore last year.

[Kevin]

Hopefully we are able to keep our heads out of the clouds and be ready for Limerick.

The Division 2 Race looks like this:

Division 2
Quarter-Finals
(a) Laois v Kerry
(b) Derry v Kildare

Semi-Finals
Wicklow v (a)/(b)
Westmeath v (a)/(b)

Let's get real. We won't grow playing against these next year.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Can we presume, then, that the play-off game with Limerick is NOT on this weekend, it not appearing on the fixture list.

T'would suit better if it wasn't. Three tough weekends in a row. While they may be starting a mini-roll, a rest weekend would give the bodies a break.

The winners won't be hurling the D2 winners until the first weekend in May, the D2 final not taking place until the Sunday before that. There's a round on the county hurling championship fixed for that weekend, which, iif that had to be put back a week, would run very close to the Leinster SHC date with Laois.

The venue will be interesting. Perhaps a Saturday date in Nenagh?

On the subject of dates and venues, how, if at all, does the refixing of the Football match with Roscommon affect the fixing of the Under 21 Leinster final?

[Treasurer]

U21 game is in Portlaoise Sat week at 6 or 6.30
Limerick game is in Nenagh Sun week at 12 or 12.30
Football expected to be on Sun week 3.30 in Tullamore (all games to be played at same time)

(will check the times for the first two later)