As the All-Ireland series gets underway in hurling this weekend, we rank the eight counties remaining in the race for the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Can any team deny Limerick a third consecutive title this summer?
Thursday 9 June 2022 18:16, UK
With the provincial championships and Joe McDonagh Cup now complete, eight teams remain in the hunt for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Limerick are hot favourites to win a third consecutive All-Ireland title, but Clare's showing in the Munster final showed that there is not a wide gap behind the Treaty.
So how do the remaining teams shape up?
Stephen Molumphy's team enjoyed a positive year, but they will be bitterly disappointed to lose a third consecutive Joe McDonagh Cup decider.
Nonetheless, they will approach their home tie with Wexford with a sense that they have nothing to lose, and can approach the 'free shot' with abandon.
The Kingdom will take heart from the fact that Westmeath got a result at home to the Yellowbellies, and they will look to similarly trouble the Model County in the south west.
Darren Gleeson would have been looking to achieve two key objectives in 2022: retain Division 1 status while being competitive in the National League, and win the Joe McDonagh Cup.
To that end, the season has been a resounding success.
The Saffrons welcome Cork to Corrigan Park this weekend, and may quietly fancy themselves to cause an upset.
The Ulster side delivered results against Clare and Wexford at the Belfast venue in 2021, and also gave Waterford a major scare earlier this year.
They will not give the Rebels an inch on Saturday.
Wexford looked dead and buried in the championship after winning just one of their opening four Leinster Championship ties.
Travelling to Nowlan Park on the final day was their trickiest assignment of the lot, but they produced when their backs were to the wall and stunned the Cats.
Darragh Egan's side now come into the All-Ireland series, perhaps under the radar in comparison with the rest of the field. Should they avoid a slip-up in Tralee, they will take on Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final as rank outsiders.
That will suit the Model County just fine.
Henry Shefflin will be deeply disappointed with his team's Leinster final showing.
The Tribesmen could only produce top form in fits and starts throughout the round-robin but nonetheless had enough to top the group.
Galway were looking to catch fire and claim their first provincial crown since 2018, but they were out-fought all over the field against the Cats.
They limp into the All-Ireland quarter-finals needing a significant response, or their summer could tamely peter out.
The Cats are Leinster champions for a third year in a row, and Brian Cody will be thrilled his side are through to another All-Ireland semi-final.
Key players are returning to form, and much will depend on how they negotiate the four-week gap until their next outing.
But there is concern around their patchy form. The Nore-siders were out-worked and out-hurled by Wexford in Nowlan Park, while they were also second-best against Galway in Salthill.
Their best display of the summer so far came in Parnell Park in a comprehensive win over Dublin, but the Cats have been inconsistent.
Question marks remain ahead of the All-Ireland series.
We saw two different sides of Cork throughout the Munster Championship. They were second best against both Limerick and Clare, but came roaring back with impressive away wins over Waterford and Tipperary to pull off the great escape and qualify for the All-Ireland series.
After appearing to be down and out in the championship, Kieran Kingston's side will be gunning to make the most of the opportunity at hand.
Galway await in the quarter-final, should they negotiate Saturday's long trip to Belfast. But the Rebels must concentrate on their immediate assignment.
If they build momentum, there could be a long summer ahead.
Clare have stepped into a role many believed would be played by Waterford this summer, as the greatest threats to Limerick.
The Treaty and the Banner could not be separated after 70 minutes in either Ennis or Thurles.
Now in his third season in charge, Brian Lohan is getting a tune out of this team, and they are thriving. The returns of Peter Duggan and Shane O'Donnell have bolstered the side.
However, there is no guarantee of a third crack at Limerick, and they must regroup in time for the All-Ireland series.
The Treaty have taken on all-comers in Munster and remain top of the pile.
Once again John Kiely's team have peaked for the summer, and head into the All-Ireland semi-final in a good place, with All-Stars Cian Lynch and Peter Casey set to come back into contention.
Limerick's semi-final performances in 2020 and 2021 have eradicated doubts around the ability of Munster champions to bridge the long gap to the last four. They will be looking for more of the same in their pursuit of a third All-Ireland title in the county's history.
But it remains to be seen how much the Munster final took it out of this side, and whether Clare showed the way for teams to trouble the Green Machine.
