ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE: DIV 1

Offaly v Clare Birr, 3pm

REALITY bit hard for Offaly last Sunday as, having been competitive for the most part in their three previous outings, were blown away by Cork. The worry is that it may be a more accurate reflection of where Offaly sit in the overall scheme of things.

Manager Johnny Kelly (right) intimated that this game would be used to give game time to under-20 players ahead of their upcoming Championship, which doesn’t bode well for a competitive fixture.

Clare need a result to make sure of reaching a League semi-final and they shouldn’t be troubled too much.

VERDICT: Clare

Wexford v Cork Chadwicks Wexford Pk, 3pm

BARRING a miracle, Cork are assured of their place in the top flight next year given their vastly superior scoring difference to Dublin, who are likely to finish fourth in Division 1B.

But a win and anything less than a victory for Kilkenny over Waterford would see them into a semi-final.

Wexford, meanwhile, would reach the last four as long as they posted a victory three points better than anything Kilkenny manage against Waterford but they may well just be happy with their lot from this League already.

VERDICT: Cork

Galway v Limerick Pearse Stadium, 1.15pm - TG4

THE scene of a huge win for Limerick back in

2018 as they beat then All-ireland champions Galway in Salthill to seal promotion from the old Division 1B, a result that many connected to the camp identified as significant in the context of what they went to achieve that year and since.

They don’t require such shots of confidence these days but neither do they want to present an opening to pretenders as perhaps Galway did with them six years ago.

Limerick were impressive in the second half against Tipperary last Saturday.

VERDICT: Limerick

Waterford v Kilkenny Walsh Park, 3pm

WITH Waterford assured of being in Division 1B next year following last Sunday’s defeat to Wexford, their third on the trot, this fixture doesn’t carry the bite that it might have. Following a defeat in Clare, Kilkenny need to win and then require that Wexford don’t beat Cork by a bigger margin if they are to reach the League semi-final, which would most likely be against Limerick.

Such an assignment may be a dubious one approaching the Championship but it wouldn’t be in Kilkenny’s nature to back away from it.

VERDICT: Kilkenny

Antrim v Tipperary Corrigan Park, 3pm - BBC iplayer/gaago

TIPP are second in the 1B table by virtue of their head-to-head advantage over Galway, but that would change if the two of them join Limerick on eight points by the end of the day, with the Treaty and Tribesmen boasting a far greater scoring difference.

Tipp should make some inroads on that today but would still require a victory in the region of 30 points. Of course, should Galway fail to beat Limerick, then a win is all they will need.

Amid a spate of defections, retirements and injuries, Antrim have struggled and face another long afternoon.

VERDICT: Tipperary

Dublin v Westmeath Parnell Park, 3pm

WITH Dublin’s score difference 51 points worse off than Cork’s, it’s safe to say that they will be playing in the new seven-team second tier of next year’s League no matter what happens in Parnell Park or, indeed, Chadwicks Wexford Park today.

It’s been a very poor campaign for Micheal Donoghue, albeit there was a better performance level against his native Galway last Sunday.

Westmeath have steadied well after a terrible hiding from Galway first day out.

VERDICT: Dublin