SATURDAY Division 1A
Cork v Kilkenny
Páirc Uí Rinn, 7.0 Live, Setanta Sports Ireland.
Just what the good people of Cork needed after a week of wailing and gnashing of teeth - Kilkenny landing down with their ears ringing after putting Brian Cody in foul humour during their sloppy win over Galway.
If we can take it that the week’s training on Noreside has been chuckle-free and focused, it’s hard to know where Cork would even have started. Anchored to the bottom of the division, all-but guaranteed to be in a relegation play-off, they’re losing players like Mark Ellis and Aidan Wash to injury into the bargain.
Kilkenny aren't exactly humming but if they don't have enough to trample on Cork here, then the league truly makes an ass of us all.
Division 1B
Limerick v Laois
Gaelic Grounds, 5.0
It's all rather fizzled out for Laois. When Cheddar Plunkett commended his side on a fighting performance in going down by eight points against Clare the last day, it felt like talk from another era.
No reason to imagine they'll extend Limerick here either in what is a dead(ish) rubber since both sides have bigger fish to fry in the weeks ahead at either end of the table.
Division 2A Kildare v Westmeath, Newbridge, 2.0.
Division 3A Warwickshire v Roscommon, Birmingham, 3.0.
SUNDAY (Throw-ins 2.0 unless stated)
Division 1A
Galway v Tipperary
Pearse Stadium, 1.30; Live, TG4,
Two sides who must be delighting in Cork's troubles, in no small part because very little attention is being paid to their own.
The one upside to this game is that the winner will use the loser as a footstool and almost certainly be boosted up and out of the relegation quagmire as a result, which should add a frisson of sorts. Galway have shown nothing since that opening night victory against Kieran Kingston’s side.
As for Tipp, they are probably unlucky enough not to have more on the board but if you're going to keep losing tight matches, sympathy for your plight won't last long. They should improve on that score here.
Waterford v Dublin
Walsh Park
Walking out of Walsh Park after this fixture in March 2014, you'd have got very few takers for the notion that Derek McGrath's Waterford would be unbeaten in league hurling almost a full two years later.
Mind you, very few punters leaving Semple Stadium on the opening night of the 2016 league would have entertained the notion of Dublin winning again all year, never mind their next two games. So this brings together a couple of teams whose graph is rising.
The suspicion must be that Waterford’s incline has the steeper look to it. Maurice Shanahan returns after having served his suspension so they won’t want for scoring power.
At the other end, it will be interesting to see if Dublin can forego their occasional habit of drifting out of games when they are made work for their scores.
Waterford keeping them where they can see them to long-range shooting will be important – in that context, how many of Dublin's middle-thirders would you trust? McGrath's side to keep trucking.
Division 1B
Wexford v Offaly
Innovate Wexford Park, 1.0
You had to wonder did the presence of the TG4 cameras in Tralee last week prick the skin of the Wexford players a little.
Yes, they were there anyway for the football match but by going the whole hog and showing Kerry v Wexford live, the implication that there might be something worth seeing was clear.
Liam Dunne's side made sure there wasn't and will want to follow up here by extracting themselves from any relegation play-off talk.
Clare v Kerry
Cusack Park, Ennis
Not that Kerry ever believed it would be all wine and roses but the tonking from Wexford last week wasn't in the grand plan. This will be a matter of lying back and thinking of Lixnaw, with the far more important fixture against Offaly to come next week in Birr.
Division 2A
Derry v London, Celtic Park, 1.00
Antrim v Carlow, Ballycastle, 1.00.
Division 2B
Armagh v Meath, 12.30;
Mayo v Wicklow, 12.45
Donegal v Down, 1.15.
Division 3A
Fingal v Monaghan, Lawless Memorial Park, Swords
Louth v Tyrone, Darver.
Division 3B Fermanagh v Longford, Brewster Park;
Leitrim v Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon.
