Who will win the Liam Mc Carthy cup

Pride Fighter

I see only 4 real contenders and they are Galway, Cork, Waterford and Kilkenny. I will pick Waterford as they have impressed me thus far. Dont only post on who you think will win do you think there will be any shocks in the qualifiers, or shocks in general. Personally I hope the Dubs can cause a shock and make the quarter finals although it might be a year to soon. Anyway post away.

marco_polo

Pride Fighter wrote:

I see only 4 real contenders and they are Galway, Cork, Waterford and Kilkenny. I will pick Waterford as they have impressed me thus far. Dont only post on who you think will win do you think there will be any shocks in the qualifiers, or shocks in general. Personally I hope the Dubs can cause a shock and make the quarter finals although it might be a year to soon. Anyway post away.

I would be interested to see how Galway are shaping up in the qualifiers before making my judgement, I have a sneaky suspicion that the may turn out to be in very good shape later on in the summer. Ger has a habit of peaking his teams at just the right time for the championship, and they won't be lacking in motivation thats for sure. The $6m dollar question is are the current crop of players good enough to step it up to the next level required to beat the Waterfords and Kilkennys of this world.

As for Dublin, though I would like to see it, it will most likely be another year or two before they are in a position to make the QFs. I can't see them edging out Tipperary or Cork in their group. If they had been in the same group as Clare there would probably have been a bit more scope for an upset given the turmoil in the camp at the moment.

rebs23

I put a tenner on Waterford at the start of the year but I'm not so sure now. It seems as if KK have the easier run in and they would still have to be the raging favourites. Waterford may just have too many battles ahead.
Unfortunately Cork are getting too distracted with too many injuries at the moment and too much selection based on club affiliations. Galway may be a suprise but KK are just getting on with in the background with very little to test them until the semi final, a bit like Kerry in the football. Bring on the open draw!

Utopia Parkway

Pride Fighter wrote:

I see only 4 real contenders and they are Galway, Cork, Waterford and Kilkenny. I will pick Waterford as they have impressed me thus far. Dont only post on who you think will win do you think there will be any shocks in the qualifiers, or shocks in general. Personally I hope the Dubs can cause a shock and make the quarter finals although it might be a year to soon. Anyway post away.

You'd have to have Kilkenny, Waterford and Cork as the three main suspects with maybe Galway best of the rest (even though we haven't seen them yet).

Cork came within the width of a goalpost of drawing with Waterford even without three of their main players and another two going off injured. They'll be there or thereabouts come the business end.

I still have big doubts about Waterford's full back line and I think it'll cost them somewhere along the line. As good as they are going forward I think they'll be caught out someday.

Kilkenny are Kilkenny.

Galway should top their qualifying group and will most likely then meet either Wexford or Limerick in the quarter-finals. Both games would be very winnable so I think they'll be in the semi-finals anyway. Any further depends on how they shape up.

aidan24326

It's hard to see past KK. They just have so much quality right through the team and a strong squad overall.

As a Galwayman I've given up on getting my hopes up at this stage though I'd agree with previous poster that Galway are one of 4 teams who could win it.

The qualifiers are unlikely to throw up any shocks. Galway and Clare will qualify from one group and almost certainly Cork and Tipp from the other. If Dublin were in the group with Galway and Clare they might have had a chance but it's hard to see them beating Cork or Tipp.

To get within 6pts of those two teams and possibly beat Offaly would be about the best Dublin could hope for, but they are gradually creeping into the picture as a team that can't be taken lightly.

Pride Fighter

I think they can sneak past Tipp if they are among the goals. When they played Tipp in the league they had to play 3 games in a week and if it was not for that they could have taken them. When they are much fresher in the summer I have an inkling they can take them. We will just have to wait and see.

Daysha

Here's how I see it:

Munster: Waterford beat Limerick
Leinster: Kilkenny beat Wexford
Group A: Galway 1st, Clare 2nd
Group B: Cork 1st, Tipp 2nd

Quarter Finals: Kilkenny beat Clare, Waterford beat Tipp, Cork beat Wexford and Galway beat Limerick

Semi Finals: Kilkenny beat Cork and Waterford beat Galway

Final: Kilkenny beat Waterford

I'm nearly certain this years Waterford team won't allow another semi final defeat, but if we come up against KK in the final i'd be very skeptical. Kilkenny in Croke Park on AI Final day are a completely different opposition to Kilkenny in Semple Stadium in mid April. Galway will come good some day, just not this year.

Cork have too much going against them this year. Tipp i doubt will come first in their group meaning probably a match against either Waterford or Kilkenny in the Quarters, so i'd be fairly surprised to see them reach past that point. Clare are in the same position, I can't see them getting first place ahead of Galway.

As for the other 2, Limerick have already made huge progress but to get to the semis they'd need to play out of their skins and get a good bit of luck, regardless of who they meet. Wexford I cant comment on till the Leinster Final but I havent read or seen anything that suggests a major change in their ways.

Kojak

deise59 wrote:

Here's how I see it:

Munster: Waterford beat Limerick
Leinster: Kilkenny beat Wexford
Group A: Galway 1st, Clare 2nd
Group B: Cork 1st, Tipp 2nd

Quarter Finals: Kilkenny beat Clare, Waterford beat Tipp, Cork beat Wexford and Galway beat Limerick

Semi Finals: Kilkenny beat Cork and Waterford beat Galway

Final: Kilkenny beat Waterford

As long as the quarter finals draw works out that way, then I thin that deise59 has hit the nail on the head. IMO this is how the SHC will pan out for the remainder of the championship, although there could be one or two upsets along the way. I didnt see Limerick beating Tipp when they played first, but they got over them (eventually) and hopefully there will be a few more before the year is out.

The most ominous thing I found from the KK vs Offaly match was that KK had already developed a new tactic of flicking down the high ball to an incoming forward/midfielder. I think this was in response to their relative failure of catching high ball against Waterford in the League final. It usually takes teams a year or so to counter-act a new tactic (i.e. Corks running game in 2004), so I would be thinking that KK are primed for the All-Ireland.

If they are to be caught, I think it would be best in a 1/4 or semi final as once they reach the final they would be near impossibe to beat, IMO.

beats26

I see you have waterford and kilkenny put into the quarter finals even though you think that they will win there provincial titles. I thought if the teams in leinster and munster win there provincial championships they go into the semis automattically and the losers go into the quarters, is that correct or am i totally wrong????

Langerland

deise59 wrote:

Here's how I see it:

Munster: Waterford beat Limerick
Leinster: Kilkenny beat Wexford
Group A: Galway 1st, Clare 2nd
Group B: Cork 1st, Tipp 2nd

Quarter Finals: Kilkenny beat Clare, Waterford beat Tipp, Cork beat Wexford and Galway beat Limerick

Semi Finals: Kilkenny beat Cork and Waterford beat Galway

Final: Kilkenny beat Waterford

It'd be a shame to have the two strongest teams in the country fighting it out at the semi-final stage Would take alot away from the final!

Kojak

beats26 wrote:

I see you have waterford and kilkenny put into the quarter finals even though you think that they will win there provincial titles. I thought if the teams in leinster and munster win there provincial championships they go into the semis automattically and the losers go into the quarters, is that correct or am i totally wrong????

Those changes come into force next year, when the winners of Munster and Leinster go straight into the All-Ireland semi-finals. AFAIK, this motion was passed at congress earleir this year..

Erin Go Brath

I'd rate the contenders as follows:

1 Kilkenny
2 Waterford
3 Cork
4 Galway
5 Limerick
6 Tipperary
7 Clare
8 Wexford

These teams should make up the quarterfinalists, barring any major shocks in the qualifers. Only 1 of the top 3 in my list are capable of winning the all-ireland this year i feel, possibly Galway at a push.

A Kilkenny/Waterford final is defintely on the cards.
I have to fancy Kilkenny, although Waterford might well do it this year if they dont bottle it, they're certainly talented enough.

dodgyme

Might checkout the odds later.

tonc76

Kilkenny 5 - 4

Waterford 10 - 3

Cork 4 - 1

Galway 11 - 2

Limerick 14 - 1

Tipperary 16 - 1

Clare 33 - 1

Wexford 40 - 1

Offaly 200 - 1

Dublin 200 - 1

Laois 1000 - 1

Antrim 1000 - 1

patmac

Would love Waterford or Galway to win it but it will probably be Kilkenny or Cork, on a side issue what chance have Antrim this weekend 13/2 to beat a depleted and demoralised Clare side who have to make the long journey up to Casement Park, seems good odds to me.

Erin Go Brath

Clare will win no bother.

Offaly might give Tipp a good game though. That'd be the pick of the 4 qualifers for me.

Nalced_irl

Dublin 200-1 That suggests that if they played it 200 times we`d win it once! Not yet but we are a team on the up and up but i dont think ill see Dublin lift McCarthy in my lifetime unfortunately.

Flukey

Hopefully you are proved wrong and soon. It has been a long time since it happened but they are 5th on the list behind Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Limerick. So they've won more than Galway, Waterford or Offaly. They are improving, so a Leinster may be a realistic target in the next few years.

Nalced_irl

I really hope so but i think it may take a long time. If we win a Leinster in the next 10 years ill be bloody impressed tho.

robric

Nalced_irl wrote:

I really hope so but i think it may take a long time. If we win a Leinster in the next 10 years ill be bloody impressed tho.

waterford to beat kilkenny in one semi, cork to dispatch galway in the other and sweet revenge for the rebels in september against dan and mcGrath. bring it on

robric

patmac wrote:

Would love Waterford or Galway to win it but it will probably be Kilkenny or Cork, on a side issue what chance have Antrim this weekend 13/2 to beat a depleted and demoralised Clare side who have to make the long journey up to Casement Park, seems good odds to me.

None.

Nalced_irl

I agree, none whatsoever

Flukey

Nalced_irl, Brian Cody has been saying that Dublin are a coming side. They certainly are improving. Let's see how they do in the qualifiers, starting this afternoon.

Flukey

They made a lot of silly mistakes and gave away some handy scores to Cork. There were positive signs too though, and if they iron out more of those basic mistakes, they will at least put it up to some of the bigger teams. At all of the age levels there are positive signs for Dublin hurling. A breakthrough may not be so far off. I can't be there, but let's hope the seniors give Tipperary a good game next Saturday.

Kojak

robric wrote:

waterford to beat kilkenny in one semi, cork to dispatch galway in the other and sweet revenge for the rebels in september against dan and mcGrath. bring it on

for that to happen, either Waterford or KK would have to loose their provincial finals, and i cannot see that happening.

The biggest problem Cork will have this year is injuries. They are already missing Niall McCarthy and Tom Kenny (Although I dont think it will make a blind bit of difference to them in the qualifiers) and looked like they lost 2 of their corner backs for a period of time after yesterdays game against Dublin.

Also, eventually no matter how fot they are, all this hurling for the last 4 years of so has eventaully to take its toll. If it this this year or not remains to be seen.

Orizio

Shane O'Neill is out for the qualifiers I think, which is a real shame because he is already looking a better corner back then O'Connor.Brian Murphy will be back next weekend.