Club All Ireland

[midfield]

Now that most of the county finals have been played, who do you think will win the club All Ireland in hurling .

I think that Birr are due to play Ballyhale next. Betting not up at the moment.
Ballyhale Shamrocks/ Dunloy / Portumna amongst others are left. Do Birr have much of a chance?

[Dingle]

Birr haven't a hope in hell. Ballyhale will bet the tar out of them. Ballyhale have, far all intensive purposes, a bye into the All Ireland hurling final. Portumna are a class side whilst Erins Own of Cork would be a good long shot bet.

[midfield]

Think that Ballyhale could go all the way again although it will be a good battle between themselves and portumna. Galway have always produced good club sides but still cant win an All ireland at county level.

Can anybody see Birr challanging for a Club All ireland again or are the glory days of all ireland club for them coming to an end?

[the bare biffo]

tullamore dumped and Birr likely to follow suit just polishes off a pretty miserable year in Offaly GAA.

Bring on 2008, it has to get better. Doesn't it ?

[corner back]

Portumna all the way this year. Ballyhale will have trouble beating birr but won't beat the tribesmen without a fully fit shefflin. I can see these teams dominate for the next few years.

[Lone Shark]

People often say that about successful clubs, but you never know with club teams who'll keep at it and who'll go to America, or just plain get fat. As things stand though the All Ireland final looks to be nailed on between those two. I also thought that Ballyhale would struggle without the two big names, but they've comfortably come though Kilkenny (James Stephens or St. Martins are better than anything they'll meet between now and the AI final) and with Cha back and experience on their side I think they're a great bet at 2/1.

Portumna on the other hand look great, and no team in Munster looks equipped to beat them, but whoever does come out of Munster will have to have done a lot of hard hurling to do so. Ballygunner and Erin's Own would both be very stiff tests, and for a Portumna team that hasn't been challenged really (except arguably by Clarinbridge in the Galway quarter final) that is a real banana skin. They should reach the final, but Ballyhale are the bet for me.

[Offalys Future]

I think Oulart de Ballagh have a great chance in this years club championship.
They have to play Vincents in the quarter final which they should get through.
They then play Camross. With a place in the final for the winner.
Remember this years Leinster Final is on December 2nd so the chances of ideal conditions will be very slim and Ballyhale if they beat Birr will be without Henry and possibly Cha.
Throughout their team they have intercounty hurlers and experienced players.
And while i will admit that they havent done it too many times in the past i still feel they are capable of going all the way.
To score 4-14 in the Wexford county final was impressive.

What odds would i get Lone Shark for Leinster? and then All-Ireland?

[Lone Shark]

Couldn't have them myself. Plenty of good hurlers, but a real summer team - they've never played as well in the winter as they do in August/September down in the sunny south east.

4/1 for Leinster, 16/1 for the All Ireland. I'll be backing Camross to knock them off in the Leinster semi myself if I can get 5/1 or bigger on that.

[Offalys Future]

I'll be backing Camross to knock them off in the Leinster semi myself if I
can get 5/1 or bigger on that.

Camross???

I'll have some of that if your on?!!!!

[Lone Shark]

Obviously I'm not saying Camross will win - I'm saying that the true odds should be in the vicinity of 4/9 OtB, 12/1 Draw and 4/1 Cam, with a handicap of around 4. I expect the market to set it a lot higher though, and so I will back Camross. Certainly if you want to lay me Camross plus 5.5 at evens I'll happily have an interest bet with you.

[Hyper]

OF, I thought Ballyboden beat or should I sayhammered St Vincents on Friday night last!!!

[Offalys Future]

that they did, i had the football final on my brain! thanks for the correction!

Lone Shark i'll take up that bet so!

[Offalys Future]

The great underachievers of club hurling,

Your money is in the post Lone Shark!

[bigfatgoalie]

No love for Killurin in the JHC lads?

[Lone Shark]

Don't even know what the criteria is for entering that competition, or why Brosna Gaels weren't allowed, but given that they were good enough to beat the Dublin winners Castleknock (albeit very surprise winners of the Dublin JHC) you'd assume they'd be good enough for Park Ratheniska next week. Won't claim to know the formlines too well though.

As for the Oulart the Ballagh situation, OF, I'll let you off this one - even I didn't think Ballyboden would be the ones to knock them off. Two sides with serious question marks over their stomach for a fight, so I wouldn't have expected either one to come back from behind. Camross on the other hand would have a lot more doggedness about them - and with all due respect to the south Dubs, methinks as we get further into winter Camross could be a worthwhile wager to win that semi.

Talk all you want about Henry and Cha being out injured, there really is nothing between Ballyhale and an All Ireland Final now.