Top counties to support NHL change

Most of the top nine hurling counties will support a move to change the format of the Allianz Hurling League in 2020.

A comprehensive victory for Limerick over Waterford earned them their place in the Munster MHC semi-finals (stock picture)

Limerick finish with a flourish

Limerick qualified for the Munster MHC semi-final when they started, and finished, stronger at the Gaelic Grounds last night.

Cody set to be approved for 19th season as Cats manager

Brian Cody looks set to be ratified for a 19th season as Kilkenny hurling manager when the county board convenes on Monday night next.

Brian Cody's Kilkenny are likely to open their campaign with a juicy semi-final tie against Wexford. Picture: Sportsfile

Tipp draw Cork as Deise await

Tipperary will open the defence of their provincial and All-Ireland crowns against Cork in the Munster SHC quarter-final as the Premier are set with the difficult task of negotiating a similar path to 2016.

O’Brien was one of Clare's better defenders in the drawn semi-final against Kilkenny. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE

Clare defender O'Brien had to have emergency op in Austria

Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has revealed how rookie defender Oisin O'Brien had to have emergency surgery in Austria in the days after the league final replay win over Waterford.

Dublin’s Mark Schutte attempts to gather possession under pressure from Limerick’s Seanie O’Brien during yesterday’s All-Ireland SHC Qualifier in Semple Stadium.

Ryan supplies spark for Dubs to burn off wasteful Limerick

Dublin came from eight points adrift to fire up their championship summer as Limerick lost their way in an All-Ireland qualifier clash at Semple Stadium where they looked to be coasting to victory at one stage.

Tipperary are going to need goals and Seamus Callanan has become one of the game’s most economical forwards

Outfighting a slick Waterford won't be easy

In the early days, the plan was centred on plugging holes in a leaky rearguard. Now, however, the mechanics of Waterford's hurling has become much more sophisticated.

Shane O'Donnell, Clare, in action against Mark Ellis, Cork.

Horgan on fire as storming Cork finish sees off Clare

REVENGE for 2013. Cork served a cold dish to Clare in last night's All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier at Semple Stadium. A run of five uananswered points down the home stretch transformed a two-point deficit into a three-point lead.

Westmeath manager Tom Cribbin: ‘Dublin are 500/1 on and for a two-horse race we are 25/1. I don’t think we have ever seen odds like that . . . All I can say is we believe in the set-up and the team and our confidence is high'.

Building the right platform to deliver a county's dream

'There's a few big players just not performing for us and I don't know why or what's wrong. You need your big players to perform if you're going to deliver. When you're seeing the likes of young Killian Daly as probably one of your best players, you're expecting poor...

Seamus Callanan who’s found the net an incredible 11 times in his last eight championship matches, never seems to score a goal which is not spectacular, while all of O’Dwyer’s points have an exhibition look about them.

Bridesmaids can take another step up the aisle

You could call it the Richard Johnson problem. Take Tony McCoy out of the equation and Johnson might well be regarded as the finest National Hunt jockey of them all. No-one but McCoy has ridden more winners than Johnson and the Englishman finished runner-up to the Irishman in the jockeys' championship on 16 occasions. Just one man stood between him and immortality.

Galway have the forwards to hurt any opponents and Cathal Mannion, left, has taken some of the scoring pressure off Joe Canning.

Five key lessons we've learned so far

1 The Waterford renaissance: Waterford have been a breath of fresh air in championship 2015. This is a new, young team ready to challenge for honours. They're playing to a system, they're well-drilled, well-organised and boast some really talented players. After the league final success, people waited to see how the team would react in the heat of championship and they got their answer in...

Cork can regroup in Wexford before bigger tests

Limerick, Dublin, Clare and Cork are my tips to make it through next weekend's All-Ireland hurling qualifiers. The Cork-Wexford clash is the one that should be most keenly contested and while I wouldn't rule out the draw, the Rebels get a tentative nod to edge it. It's a massive game for both counties who are coming in low on confidence.

Nothing to lose and everything to gain in Thurles decider

The vast majority of Waterford hurling folk are delighted that next month's Munster hurling final has been fixed for Thurles. Once the Waterford players indicated that they wanted to play at Semple Stadium, this was the nod for Derek McGrath and his...