Saturday
Division 1A: Tipperary v Galway
Throw-in: 1.30pm. Venue: Semple Stadium. How to watch: Live on TG4. Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
Nine - count ‘em - changes for Galway from last weekend’s win over Limerick, a reminder that this is still the league, after all. Having put in a smart cameo six days ago, there’s a first start for Joe Canning since he was stretchered off in the All-Ireland semi-final last November. Daithí Burke is back too, while probably the player of the opening two rounds - Cathal Mannion - drops to the bench.
The current angst in Tipperary after the opening fortnight has centred on not just the lack of goals but the paucity of goal chances. Facing Galway usually brings out the Gerd Müller in them - they’ve slotted six goals in the last three league and championship games against them. If only to settle the hand-wringing, you’d imagine they’ll make a better shape at green flag-hunting here.
Verdict: Tipperary
Division 1B: Dublin v Antrim
Throw-in: 5pm. Venue: Parnell Park. How to watch: Live on GAAGO. Referee: Seán Cleere (Kilkenny)
Hard to know how much bluff and double-bluff will go on here. Antrim can be fairly sure that their Division One fate will come down to the Laois game on June 12th so they aren’t desperate for a result in Parnell Park. That should allow them to keep a little in reserve for the championship encounter between these teams in a month’s time. That said, they got a real glimpse last week of how potent they can be when they rattled Kilkenny after half-time. That’s no bad groove to be getting used to.
Dublin have been fairly anaemic, with no goals scored and Donal Burke’s frees accounting for just under half of their points across the opening two games. Expect him to be busy again here - Antrim have conceded the most scores from frees in the league so far. But Mattie Kenny will want to see other strings to his team’s bow soon.
Verdict: Dublin
Sunday
Division 1A: Cork v Westmeath
Throw-in: 3pm. Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh. How to watch: Live on GAAGO. Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
Westmeath are all but doomed to a relegation playoff already and Cork aren’t likely to spare the rod on them here either. While they put it up to Waterford last week, they couldn’t quite catch them despite having a two-man advantage in the closing stages. That was surely their chance of an upset and Cork can count themselves warned.
Verdict: Cork
Division 1A: Waterford v Limerick
Throw-in: 3.45pm. Venue: Walsh Park. How to watch: Live on TG4. Referee: Paud O'Dwyer (Carlow)
Limerick will have to do without Diarmaid Byrnes after the All Star wing-back picked up a one-match suspension during the week for a strike on Jason Flynn in the Galway game. John Kiely’s complaints about how Limerick are being refereed were presumably made with the intention of marking cards going forward so it will be interesting to see if or how they adapt their tackle technique here.
Waterford could do with a performance, having pulled up very few trees against either Cork or Westmeath. Gearóid Hegarty scored 1-5 in this fixture in last year’s league and 0-7 in the All-Ireland final. If Liam Cahill could find a fix for that problem, it would be a good afternoon’s labour.
Verdict: Limerick
Division 1B: Laois v Clare
Throw-in: 3pm. Venue: O'Moore Park. How to watch: Live on GAAGO. Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)
Notwithstanding the slightly odd need for a couple of the Clare players to isolate having been named as close contacts to the Wexford Covid cases, Brian Lohan’s side should get up and running here.
Verdict: Clare
