Hurling review: The runners and the also-rans

Screen Shot 2015-06-21 at 21.18.01

Those of the footballing persuasion will by now be bored to death by perpetual discussions of needing to re-tier the All-Ireland Championships. ‘Something simply must be done,’ some will shriek, ‘so that Longford don’t have to get a demoralising 25-point defeat to Dublin every year.’ To be fair, this writer is often among them.

Perhaps the Leinster semi-finals may be food for thought that way. Hurling is often looked to as the role model for a tiered Championship to stop annual batterings, but the combined margin of victory in the two Leinster hurling semi-finals was 44 points. One of the two Munster semi-finals was won by 16. Perhaps it’s best just to acknowledge that no matter how the Championship is structured, there will always be brilliant teams who can destroy the mere mortals.

At this early stage in the season it certainly seems as if the four teams making it to the provincial finals are the ones with the best chance of silverware. Galway now seem to have found their footing, Waterford have two cups under their belts and are yet to be beaten this year in any competition, while Kilkenny and Tipperary proved this weekend why they make it to so many All-Ireland finals: on a good day they’re close to unstoppable.

Their wins put them further clear of the chasing back, while Limerick’s defeat at home sees them seep one spot to 7th. Laois, likewise, slide one spot to 12th thanks to their heavy defeat.

Hurling rankings
(w/e June 21, 2015)
1 Kilkenny 2183
2 Tipperary 2142
3 Waterford 1982
4 Cork 1950
5 Galway 1933
6 (+1) Dublin 1851
7 (-1) Limerick 1849
8 Clare 1815
9 Wexford 1712
10 Offaly 1550
11 (+1) Kerry 1534
12 (-1) Laois 1523
13 Westmeath 1349
14 Carlow 1311
15 Kildare 1286
16 Antrim 1279
17 Down 1262
18 Derry 1208
19 Meath 1199
20 London 1097
21 Roscommon 1080
22 Wicklow 1061
23 Armagh 988
24 Tyrone 922
25 Donegal 894
26 Mayo 863
27 Fingal 768
28 Monaghan 743
29 Longford 610
30 Fermanagh 609
31 Louth 575
32 Warwickshire 522
33 Leitrim 367
34 Sligo 364
35 Lancashire 173

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.