National Hurling League 2022 Discussion

PTH2009

Division 1A

February: Round One- Cork v Clare (Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Saturday 5th, 5pm), Wexford v Limerick (Wexford Park, Sunday 6th, 1.45pm), Galway v Offaly (Pearse Stadium, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Two- Limerick v Galway (Gaelic Grounds, Saturday 12th, 7pm), Clare v Wexford (Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 13th, 1.45pm), Offaly v Cork (O'Connor Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm). Round Three- Galway v Wexford (Pearse Stadium, Sunday 27th, 2pm), Offaly v Clare (O'Connor Park, Sunday 27th, 2pm), Limerick v Cork (Gaelic Grounds, Sunday 27th, 3.45pm).

March: Round Four- Cork v Galway (Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Saturday 5th, 7pm), Clare v Limerick (Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 6th, 1.45pm), Wexford v Offaly (Wexford Park, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Five- Galway v Clare (Pearse Stadium, Sunday 20th, 1.45pm), Limerick v Offaly (Gaelic Grounds, Sunday 20th, 1.45pm), Wexford v Cork (Wexford Park, Sunday 20th, 1.45pm).

Division 1B

February: Round One- Laois v Tipperary (O'Moore Park, Saturday 5th, 6pm), Kilkenny v Antrim (Nowlan Park, Sunday 6th, 1pm), Dublin v Waterford (Parnell Park, Sunday 6th, 3.45pm). Round Two- Antrim v Dublin (Corrigan Park, Saturday 12th, 2pm), Waterford v Laois (Walsh Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm), Tipperary v Kilkenny (Semple Stadium, Sunday 13th, 3.45pm). Round Three- Tipperary v Dublin (Semple Stadium, Saturday 26th, 5pm), Antrim v Waterford (Corrigan Park, Sunday 27th, 1pm), Kilkenny v Laois (Nowlan Park, Sunday 27th, 2pm).

March: Round Four- Dublin v Kilkenny (Parnell Park, Saturday 5th, 5pm), Waterford v Tipperary (Walsh Park, Sunday 6th, 1.45pm), Laois v Antrim (O'Moore Park, Sunday 6th, 3.45pm). Round Five- Kilkenny v Waterford (Nowlan Parkv Sunday 20th, 1.45pm), Laois v Dublin (O'Moore Park, Sunday 20th, 1.45pm), Tipperary v Antrim (Semple Stadium, Sunday 20th, 1.45pm).

Division 1 semi-finals (1st 1A vs 2nd 1B and 1st 1B vs 2nd 1A) & relegation play-off (6th 1A vs 6th 1B): Weekend of March 26th/27th, venues and times to be confirmed.

Division 1 final: Weekend of April 2nd/3rd, venues and times to be confirmed.

Division 2A

February: Round One- Westmeath v Kerry (Cusack Park Mullingar, Sunday 6th, 12.30pm), Down v Carlow (McKenna Park, Sunday 6th, 1pm), Kildare v Meath (Newbridge, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Two- Carlow v Westmeath (Cullen Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm), Kerry v Kildare (Austin Stack Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm), Meath v Down (Páirc Tailteann, Sunday 13th, 2pm). Round Three- Carlow v Kerry (Cullen Park, Sunday 27th, 12.30pm), Down v Kildare (McKenna Park, Sunday 2th, 2pm), Meath v Westmeath (Páirc Tailteann, Sunday 27th, 2pm).

March: Round Four- Kerry v Meath (Austin Stack Park, Sunday 6th, 2pm), Kildare v Carlow (Newbridge, Sunday 6th, 2pm), Westmeath v Down (Cusack Park Mullingar, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Five- Down v Kerry (McKenna Park, Saturday 19th, 2pm), Kildare v Westmeath (Newbridge, Sunday 20th, 12.30pm), Meath v Carlow (Páirc Tailteann, Sunday 20th, 12.30pm).

Division 2B

February: Round One- Derry v Sligo (Celtic Park, Saturday 5th, 2pm), Donegal v London (Letterkenny, Sunday 6th, 12pm), Mayo v Wicklow (Ballina Stephenites, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Two- London v Mayo (McGovern Park Ruislip, Sunday 13th, 1pm), Wicklow v Derry (Aughrim, Sunday 13th, 1pm), Sligo v Donegal (Markievicz Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm). Round Three- Sligo v London (Markievicz Park, Sunday 27th, 12pm), Wicklow v Donegal (Aughrim, Sunday 27th, 12.30pm), Derry v Mayo (Celtic Park, Sunday 27th, 2pm).

March: Round Four- London v Wicklow (McGovern Park Ruislip, Sunday 6th, 1pm), Donegal v Derry (Letterkenny, Sunday 6th, 2pm), Mayo v Sligo (Ballina Stephenites, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Five- Derry v London (Celtic Park, Sunday 20th, 12pm), Mayo v Donegal (Ballina Stephenites, Sunday 20th, 1pm), Wicklow v Sligo (Aughrim, Sunday 20th, 1pm).

Division 2 semi-finals & relegation play-off: Weekend of March 26th/27th, venues and times to be confirmed.

Division 2A & 2B finals: Weekend of April 2nd/3rd, venues and times to be confirmed.

Division 3A

February: Round One- Armagh v Louth (Athletic Grounds, Saturday 5th, 2.30pm), Warwickshire v Monaghan (Páirc na hÉireann Birmingham, Sunday 6th, 1pm), Roscommon v Tyrone (Dr Hyde Park, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Two- Tyrone v Warwickshire (Healy Park, Sunday 13th, 1pm), Louth v Roscommon (Dundalk, Sunday 13th, 2pm), Monaghan v Armagh (Inniskeen, Sunday 13th, 2pm). Round Three- Louth v Monaghan (Dundalk, Saturday 26th, 2pm), Roscommon v Warwickshire (Athleague, Sunday 27th, 1pm), Tyrone v Armagh (Healy Park, Sunday 27th, 2pm).

March: Found Four- Warwickshire v Louth (Páirc na hÉireann Birmingham, Saturday 5th, 1pm), Armagh v Roscommon (Athletic Grounds, Sunday 6th, 2pm), Monaghan v Tyrone (Inniskeen, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Five- Roscommon v Monaghan (Dr Hyde Park, Sunday 20th, 1pm), Tyrone v Louth (Healy Park, Sunday 20th, 1pm), Warwickshire v Armagh (Páirc na hÉireann, Sunday 20th, 1pm).

Division 3B

February: Round One- Fermanagh v Cavan (Brewster Park, Saturday 5th, 2.30pm), Lancashire v Leitrim (Venue to be confirmed, Sunday 6th, 1pm). Round Two- Cavan v Lancashire (Breffni Park, Sunday 13th, 1pm), Longford v Fermanagh (Pearse Park, Sunday 13th, 2pm). Round Three- Leitrim v Cavan (Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Saturday 26th, 2pm), Lancashire v Longford (Venue to be confirmed, Sunday 27th, 1pm).

March: Round Four- Fermanagh v Lancashire (Brewster Park, Sunday 6th, 1pm), Longford v Leitrim (Pearse Park, Sunday 6th, 2pm). Round Five- Cavan v Longford (Breffni Park, Sunday 20th, 12.30pm), Leitrim v Fermanagh (Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Sunday 20th, 12.30pm)

Division 3 semi-finals: Weekend of March 26th/27th, venues and times to be confirmed.

Division 3A & 3B finals: Weekend of April 2nd/3rd, venues and times to be confirmed.

lim4ev

fair play PTH I'll know where to check any fixture I need to now. can't really comment on the games themselves just to say I can't wait for them all to start

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118563016#Comment_118563016

same and its nice to back to the normal times for the competition. Great going to league games on a cold damp February Sunday

Hard to know what way different teams will treat the league, the media will have a field day if King Henrys Galway fly out of the traps. With only the top 2 getting through there will be urgency from teams to get keep the form up considering how close the league is to championship (Round 5 a month before the opening rounds of the Championships)

PeggyShippen

The Clare v Limerick game on Saturday evening is perfect. Great pitch and under lights. Really good lights I might add because some of these club flood lights are grand for training but they arent high enough nor strong enough for inter County matches

lim4ev

I'm sure it's limerick v galway on the sat night and yes I agree I love the sat evening games a match then a few pints afterwards we didn't realise how good we had it till it was gone ill be at every match I possibly can this yr

C4000

Tempted to have a few quid on Kildare to win 2A as a value bet at 16/1. They cruised through 2B last year and were very competitive in hard fought matches against Carlow and Westmeath in the Joe McDonagh before surprisingly being well beaten by Meath in a relegation playoff.

They were hammered by Westmeath in the Kehoe Cup recently, but seemed to have a very inexperienced team out. Also missing Naas players for now but their last two games are at home to Carlow and Westmeath.......

PTH2009

2A is going to be interesting esp having teams like Carlow, Westmeath, Kerry in and then Kildare who are improving as already mentioned. Down and Meath aren't far off the others too

PTH2009

That Limerick squad for the first round of the league is scary.

letsseehere14

Great opening post laying out the games. I am really looking forward to this years league, the club championship has been great and its like the season is just continuing. Arguably it is the 4th different intercounty format is 6 years. Old format in 2017, new round robin in 2018, 2019, Winter championship, league basically not finished in 2020, old format in 2021 with no league final and now condensed/early season round robin format in 2022.

As we know some teams just get the prep totally wrong, it happens. Galway last year is a prime example where they peaked too early and had absolutely nothing for championship.

This year I expect teams to probably go with 8 to 10 expected starters per match with a lot of rotation across the league games and with some championship games timetabled in for 2 weeks after the league final, I would assume a league final is not even on some teams agenda. And may even be a hindrance. I have even heard this from some pundits, I think on Dalos show. This shows up a major flaw in the new timetable as it reduced the prestige of the league enormously, and the leagues prestige was already on the wane.

I dont think there is any point of a power rankings this early other than its Limerick #1. The rest its impossible to put where they actually are as come April what is expected now may be very different.

I hope we rotate a lot this year, Pat Ryan looks set to start in the FF line for championship but mainly due to injury of Casey. My main worry was that the guys outside of the 15 were not getting real game time, particularly championship. This year its unavoidable to not use the whole squad and we will finally see how deep our squad really is.

As for the others, I have no idea what Cork or Galway will do. Honestly. Cork have to show some backbone now and bounce back. Galway have been up, down, up, down in form. No Canning. No idea how good they will be. Kilkenny have adapted but dont seem to have much new, main men another year older. I could see them slipping back. Wexford, in actual transition as they have to unlearn the Davy tactics. Clare and Dublin might take a step forward this year. Tipp in transition but maybe not as major as some think, talent is or should be there and theyve been the only team in the last 2 years to actually win a half against Limerick, in a lot of ways the only team to really lay a glove on us. Finally Waterford, the team in my eyes with the most pressure on their backs this year. Cahill choosing them over Tipp means he expects and requires them to perform. A lot of exciting players but they took a step back last year compared to 2020. Slipped further away from Limerick and were very poor against Clare and Laois as well as a few league performances. This for me was in major contrast to their 2020 campaign where they were consistent for pretty much the entire year. I dont see them as ahead of any of the other teams, but the expectation from them and the media has put them front and centre in the spotlight. It will be very interesting to see how they go in the league and through to the first 2 rounds of championship which will make or break them against ourselves and Tipp.

Division 2 has Kerry Carlow and Westmeath meeting eachother over the first 3 rounds. Maybe even by round 2 we will see who is going to win that. Offaly back in 1A, great to see and I hope they make the step back to the Leinster championship soon.

Ties of round 1 - Cork v Clare, Dublin v Waterford and Westmeath v Kerry

Potential league shocks? Laois v Tipp, Offaly v Clare, Offaly v Wexford, Antrim v Dublin

breezy1985

It's a bit of a perfect storm for Limerick. Not only have we the best team it's also the most settled and almost everyone else seems to have way more pressure. Cork and Kilkenny in particular will be under serious pressure given the relatively long wait for All Irelands, Galway and Tipp have/had the players to do it only a few years ago and Waterford know they have the players to come close.

Despite the last few years and all of the above I still can't go into a season confident. It's just not in my nature as a Limerick fan.

billyhead

Limerick will be hard to stop this year. They are so far ahead of the chasing pack. Teams need a strong squad this year with the round robin games in the championship with injuries etc.

PTH2009

Antrim leading against Kilkenny

breezy1985

Is there anywhere does live scores these days ?

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590625#Comment_118590625

Gaelsport app

Happyilylost

Never heard of it. Great App thanks a million. Very frustrating since Hoganstand stopped.

ShamoBuc

Wexford playing well,couple of points ahead with 5 to go.

breezy1985

Thanks for that. Looks like a good app

ShamoBuc

Good win for Wexford by 3 points in the end.

Happyhouse22

Pretty good game here - in an era of ever increasing scores this was much more enjoyable than many more high scoring and free flowing affairs.

bamayang

Agreed, enjoyable battle. Wexford gave Limerick lots of it. Dunno would Limerick be that bothered by the loss.

But the big thing I see with them, they don’t seem to have new Gillanes/Lynch’s coming onto the team, not sure the conveyor belt is at the same level.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590780#Comment_118590780

What was with the really low score ?

TheMilkyPirate

Scrappy enough game with a strong wind and some bad wides.

PeggyShippen

Crazy wind but some of Limericks shooting was old skool terrible. I dunno how Cathal O Neill was left on for so long...he was awfull loose in possession.

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590872#Comment_118590872

Wind was very hard to guage at times and poor finishing, especially quite a few frees missed.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590841#Comment_118590841

Tbf, Lynch is the best player Limerick has produced certainly in my memory, you can't expect to see another like him for Limerick for a few decades, but yeah, the depth isn't massive there, despite the Academy etc. Limerick lost a few at this time of the year last year too so we'll see how it goes.

washman3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118590967#Comment_118590967

He is a young lad of 18 years of age.!! A great prospect. Actually too young to play Fitzgibbon Cup with UL. Shoots the lights out with his club in virtually every game. Well deserves his chance to stake a claim in this squad.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592069#Comment_118592069

It's Hannan and Quaid I really worry about losing. Quaids perfect puckouts and Hannans control of the defense are irreplaceable for Limerick I think.

Lynch is a once in a generation type. Probably this decades Canning/Shefflin and there is no point even dreaming you will get another one coming along.

gormdubhgorm

Anyone who has not seen The Sunday Game. It is worth watching for the Davy Fitz v Donal Og discussion on the Wexford goal (Dwyer) v Limerick. Davy going on about what a great goal it was.

DOC - ‘But steps Davy?’

DF - ‘Don’t talk to me about steps!’

DOC - ‘12 steps???’

DF - (getting annoyed at the use of logic) - ‘sometimes it works the other way and refs blow for 2 or 3 steps’

-

This was funny enough. But then Davy discusses Offaly hurling in general. At another segment. And what phrase does Davy use to describe Offaly’s progress?

DF - ‘I am very impressed with the amount of steps Offaly have made.’

-

It was gas unbeknownst to him. DF is great entertainment as always. Making great steps in hurling punditry!

PeggyShippen

Davy is some man to make up new phrases for the English language.. he has been known to mix sayings... ' we don't want to rock the apple cart'...that type of stuff. And yeah he hates logic. Logic and facts are the last refuge of the scoundrel for Davy.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592793#Comment_118592793

Steps is something not worth arguing about. Almost every goal could be pulled back on steps and Donal Og knows that

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118592164#Comment_118592164

The 2 Morrisseys and Gearoid Hegarty worked hard today. Apart from awful finishing by Hegarty in the 2nd half he had a good game I wouldn't worry much from this loss. Get them out of the way now. All Ireland's aren't won in February.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593053#Comment_118593053

A bit of a wake up call and a reason to blloc them will do them good further down the line.

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593086#Comment_118593086

As they say you learn more from your defeats than you do from the wins. Dampens down expectations a little too although it probably won't.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593105#Comment_118593105

It's a weird one. In one sense we are still on for 3 in a row but also do Limerick fans ever have expectations.

washman3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593114#Comment_118593114

In short, definitely not.!! well at least the older generation anyway. We have seen all too often how things can rapidly unravel. As a lifelong supporter like many many others, to witness Limerick win an A.I. was always the dream. To watch this current crop win 3 in 4 years is simply unbelievable. Certainly makes up for all the heartache over those barren decades when we were virtually at the line on so many occasions but failed to get over it. Anything we achieve from now on is, for me, a bonus. Albeit a deserved bonus for this exceptional bunch and management.

PeggyShippen

Ah come on now. "Steps isn't worth arguing about"..Shur that's nonsensical. While I agree that the steps rule is regularly broken yesterdays 10 step shimmy was quiet funny in its ridiculousness. Does the ref assessor of a Monday morning sit down and explain the rule again to the ref. What are the sanctions that a ref suffers after a blunder like this. ? Overall he had a good game. He gave a yellow to Wexford for a slight late shoulder which I thought was silly but the same player avoided a second yellow for a helmet pull...

No issue with the result. Wexford surprised me with their hunger and Paudie Foley was great

TheMilkyPirate

Dwyer was being fouled the whole way through so I presume the referee was giving him the benefit of the doubt, of course that raises the question was he fouled before he went over his first allocation of steps? On looking back at it I think he was and then fouled again when brought down while shooting for goal.

You could make an argument both ways but it's certainly not the worst decision I've seen.

ShamoBuc

Red card for Limericks Hegarty - fully deserved.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622578#Comment_118622578

Been years in the making

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622578#Comment_118622578

He's rode his luck for a few years now

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622582#Comment_118622582

Exactly. Hopefully Refs are copping onto his antics

castletownman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622578#Comment_118622578

It was filthy.

There is a nasty side to this Limerick team that up to now hasn't been dealt with enough by referees.

Ompala

Long overdue.

nklc

Great to see Horgan not sending off a pair as usually happens, picked out the one that struck high with the Hurley

castletownman

So Duignan is against two points for a sideline cut because you are unmarked taking it and wouldn't like to see an AI final decided by one.

But you are also unmarked from a free, penalty or '65 so presumably a lad scoring one deep in injury-time is taboo too? Frees and 65s have become almost guaranteed scores at county level these days (and penalties are easier now its one-on-one) while sideline cuts remain an art form.

Stupid logic.

FintanMcluskey

Limerick are streets ahead physically.

Hayes batted 2 Galway lads to the ground with a shoulder and never broke stride.

blackcard

I don't think 2 points should be awarded for a sideline. Are 3 scores from a sideline the equivalent of 2 goals? If a player scores off his right and then his left, should the player get a bonus. Should a player be awarded a point for a contested catch? There are a whole lot of skills in the game, I don't think there should be anything extra for a sideline

Denny61

Limerick are a two trick pony .been found out ..their tippety tappety hurling is laughable

TheRiverman

Hope "The Target" Canning retires sometime soon, he gets more head wrecking every time he is on.

TheRiverman

Eoinbmw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622728#Comment_118622728

Its 2nd game in the league lol!