NHL Week 1

cruiserweight

Well with the football season in full swing the hurling season is about to kick off! In terms of relegation from Division 1 I would say it is between Down and Antrim neither of whom are playing in the Liam McCarthy championship next year! While in Division 2 I expect the promotion final to come down to Dublin and Westmeath both of whom will be playing in the Liam McCarthy this year!

As for Wexford I would expect them to beat Offaly and Down as a bare minimum, and after that lets wait and see!

The leagues have been re-jigged and here are the fixtures for the first week are :

Division 1A
19/02/2006 Offaly v Cork (14:30) Birr
19/02/2006 Waterford v Wexford (14:30) Dungarvan
19/02/2006 Clare v Down (13:30) Cusack Park

Division 1B
19/02/2006 Antrim v Galway (14:30) Casement Park
19/02/2006 Kilkenny v Laois (14:30) Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
19/02/2006 Limerick v Tipperary (14:30) Pairc na nGael

Division 2A
19/02/2006 Derry v Dublin (14:30) Lavey
19/02/2006 Carlow v Roscommon (14:30) Dr Cullen Park
19/02/2006 Wicklow v Meath (14:30) Arklow

Division 2B
26/02/2006 Kildare v Westmeath (00:00) TBA
19/02/2006 Mayo v Kildare (14:30) Ballina
19/02/2006 London v Kerry (14:30) Ruislip

Division 3A
19/02/2006 Leitrim v Louth (14:30) Carrick-on-Shannon
19/02/2006 Sligo v Monaghan (14:30) Markievicz Park

Division 3B
19/02/2006 Cavan v Longford (14:30) Ballyconnell
19/02/2006 Fermanagh v Tyrone (14:30) Enniskille

Kojak

My predictions for the Divison 1A and 1B:
Division 1A
19/02/2006 Offaly v Cork (14:30) Birr - Cork
19/02/2006 Waterford v Wexford (14:30) Dungarvan - Waterford
19/02/2006 Clare v Down (13:30) Cusack Park - Clare

Division 1B
19/02/2006 Antrim v Galway (14:30) Casement Park - Galway
19/02/2006 Kilkenny v Laois (14:30) Nowlan Park, Kilkenny - Kilkenny
19/02/2006 Limerick v Tipperary (14:30) Pairc na nGael - Limerick.

Daysha

^^agreed, except for Limerick beating Tipp

Kojak

deise59 wrote:

^^agreed, except for Limerick beating Tipp

I only said Limerick because they seem to have a more settled team at the moment. Tipp have brought a lot on new comers into their team (i.e. England at wing-back).

mchurl

My predicitons for week 1 are

Division 1A
19/02/2006 Offaly v Cork (14:30) Birr ---Cork
19/02/2006 Waterford v Wexford (14:30) Dungarvan ---Waterord
19/02/2006 Clare v Down (13:30) Cusack Park ---Clare

Division 1B
19/02/2006 Antrim v Galway (14:30) Casement Park ---Galway
19/02/2006 Kilkenny v Laois (14:30) Nowlan Park, Kilkenny ---Kilkenny
19/02/2006 Limerick v Tipperary (14:30) Pairc na nGael ---Limerick

Division 2A
19/02/2006 Derry v Dublin (14:30) Lavey ---Dublin
19/02/2006 Carlow v Roscommon (14:30) Dr Cullen Park ---Carlow
19/02/2006 Wicklow v Meath (14:30) Arklow ---Meath

Division 2B
26/02/2006 Kildare v Westmeath (00:00) TBA ---Westmeath
19/02/2006 Mayo v Kildare (14:30) Ballina ---Mayo
19/02/2006 London v Kerry (14:30) Ruislip ---Kerry

Division 3A
19/02/2006 Leitrim v Louth (14:30) Carrick-on-Shannon ---Leitrim
19/02/2006 Sligo v Monaghan (14:30) Markievicz Park ---Sligo

Division 3B
19/02/2006 Cavan v Longford (14:30) Ballyconnell ---Cavan
19/02/2006 Fermanagh v Tyrone (14:30) Enniskille ---Tyrone

KevIRL

Division 1A
19/02/2006 Offaly v Cork (Cork)
19/02/2006 Waterford v Wexford (Wexford unfortunately)
19/02/2006 Clare v Down (Down :eek: )

Division 1B
19/02/2006 Antrim v Galway (Galway)
19/02/2006 Kilkenny v Laois (Kilkenny)
19/02/2006 Limerick v Tipperary (Limerick)

Division 2A
19/02/2006 Derry v Dublin (dublin)
19/02/2006 Carlow v Roscommon (Carlow)
19/02/2006 Wicklow v Meath (Meath)
Division 2B
26/02/2006 Kildare v Westmeath (Westmeath)
19/02/2006 Mayo v Kildare (kildare)
19/02/2006 London v Kerry (London)

Division 3A
19/02/2006 Leitrim v Louth (Louth)
19/02/2006 Sligo v Monaghan (Sligo)

Division 3B
19/02/2006 Cavan v Longford (Longford)
19/02/2006 Fermanagh v Tyrone (Fermanagh)

KevIRL

Antrim beat Galway 1-14 to 0-16 :eek:

mchurl

great result for Antrim, were Galway missing players??

KevIRL

mchurl wrote:

great result for Antrim, were Galway missing players??

Dont think so, Farragher got 10 points for them anyway. Was a last minute goal that won it for Antrim.

mchurl

yeah i read the report, cloonan was playing as well. Brian McFall got the goal.

Kojak

mchurl wrote:

great result for Antrim, were Galway missing players??

They were missing 7 of the starting team in last years All-Ireland, however IMO that is no excuse. If Galway thought that they would coast through the year and reach the All-Ireland final they need to think twice. The same old story wioth Galway hurling - if they have one good season (I didn't count last year that good for us) they seem to let it get to their heads.

I listened to some of the match on the radio and Antrim fully deserved to win - if they had taken their chances (they hit something like 12 wides) they would have won by a lot more. this result will probably mean that Antrim will stay up (IMO Down are now the weakest team in the top divisons)

At the present moment in time, Galway don't have enough strength in depth - good minors and U-21's dont automatically make good seniors (Ask Limerick)