2018 Allianz Hurling Leagues About To Take Off

The 2018 Allianz Hurling League take off this weekend with some mouth watering clashes in store.

Offaly and Dublin get the League underway on Saturday evening in their Division 1B clash in Croke Park at 5.00pm. Both teams will be under new management as two-time All-Ireland winner in the nineties, Kevin Martin, takes over his native county and former Dublin football manager, Pat Gilroy, throws his hat in with the hurlers. Offaly and Dublin have already shown some early season promise. The Faithful County pushed Kilkenny to the pin of their collar in their Walsh Cup clash and Dublin have added the familiar names of McCaffrey, Kelly, Sutcliffe and Keaney to the fold for the season ahead.

Later that evening at the newly revamped Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork open the 1A division with a meeting against rivals Kilkenny. Cork came out winless in the Munster Senior Hurling League but new Rebel manager, John Meyler, fielded experimental teams in their losses to Limerick, Clare and Kerry. The sight of the Black and Amber and playing in their own back yard should see an improvement in performance for the Cork side.

Brian Cody, Kilkenny manager since 1998, will be looking for a repeat of last year's clash between the sides when the Cats emerged victorious from Nowlan Park with a 7-point win.

Cody was sent to the stands in last weekend's thrilling Walsh Cup final loss to Wexford which shows that even still, after all this time, every single game matters to him. Cork beware!

It's very much derby day on Sunday in Division 1A as rivals Clare and Tipperary square off in Ennis and Wexford make the trip to sunny south-east neighbours, Waterford.

Both Clare and Tipperary had disappointing campaigns in the 2017 League and Championship and will look to kick-start this year's campaign with a victory on Sunday. Tipp came out top in last year's meeting by a 7-point margin (0-28 to 0-21) and will hope that a win here will set them on the way to another League Final and make amends for their no-show against Galway in last year's decider.

All-Ireland Championship runners-up, Waterford, will host the Yellowbellies and bainisteoir Derek McGrath must plan without the injured Stephen O'Keeffe and Tom Devine. Wexford will come into the game as reigning Walsh Cup champions and manager Davy Fitzgerald will be looking to get points on the board as early possible for his side. The Slaneysiders had been languishing in 1B for many years before Fitzgerald took over and brought them straight up.

Reigning League and All-Ireland champions, Galway, begin their title defence in Salthill against Antrim on Sunday in Division 1B. Galway suffered their only loss of last year to Wexford in the early rounds of the League - a loss that meant they had to remain in that division for another year.

The Tribesmen would have to be raging hot favourites to jump back to the top-tier with possibly another League Final victory in the process.

Antrim will surely find the going far too tough here having just come up from Division 2A.

Also in 1B, Limerick and Laois square-off at the Gaelic Grounds. Laois will be hoping for a vastly improved league performance against the Treaty side this year having got a trouncing last time out against them on a scoreline of 1-19 to 6-33. Limerick will be battling it out with Galway in this group to try and get back up with the top teams again.

In Roinn 2A on Sunday, London and Kerry meet in Ruislip, Carlow and Westmeath battle it out in Netwatch Cullen Park and Kildare face Meath in St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge. Kerry would be fancied there and the other two games there will only a puck of a ball between the sides.

Roinn 2B sees Wicklow and Armagh at Joule Park, Aughrim, Ulster rivals Derry and Down at Celtic Park, Donegal and Mayo and Donegal at Elverys MacHale Park, Castlebar. Wicklow and Armagh will be favourites to get promoted so a victory in opener may well set the winning team on their way to 2A. Down may have just enough to get over Derry while Mayo should prevail over newly promoted Donegal.

In Roinn 3A at Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon face Louth, Tyrone play Warwickshire in Omagh, Longford and Monaghan square-off in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford, Lancashire meet Fermanagh in Randalstown, Antrim, and Sligo play Leitrim in Markievicz Park.