3 CHAMPIONSHIP X FACTORS
No home matches for Waterford
WILL this be the obstacle that knocks them out of the Championship?
With margins so tight in Munster, it really could work against Derek McGrath’s squad. With Walsh Park unavailable, their two ‘home’ games are against Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds – not their favourite venue – and Cork at Semple Stadium, a venue in which opponents won’t feel intimidated.
In normal circumstances, I would fancy them to make the top three in Munster all day long. But these aren’t normal circumstances.
The threat of relegation from the Liam MacCarthy Cup
THE fact that one team in Leinster faces automatic relegation – unless Kerry win the Joe McDonagh Cup – raises the stakes like never before.
It’s way bigger than who doesn’t qualify in Munster. It’s one of the biggest factors of the whole Championship.
The assumption is that Offaly will go down, that it will come down to Offaly’s final round game against Dublin in Parnell.
I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion.
Discipline
It’s a big year for the official Championship panel of referees. Brian Gavin is gone far too early in my eyes. Barry Kelly as well.
One incident in the Allianz League sticks out – Adrian Tuohy striking Limerick player Barry Murphy below the belt. After that incident, referee Cathal McAllister went over to last year’s All-Ireland referee, Fergal Horgan, on the line and asked him if he saw it. He obviously saw something because he gave him the card. How was that yellow card compared to the incident involving Waterford defender Conor Gleeson in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final?
He missed an All-Ireland over a tap.
Last summer was full of controversy over players pulling faceguards – let’s hope we see none of that this year.