I fear for Dublin on Sunday…

ON SUNDAY Kilkenny face Anthony Daly's Dublin in the Leinster Senior Hurling Final at Croke Park. It is Daly's first season in charge of Dublin's hurlers.

This is certainly progress for the Dubs as they also performed admirably in the League and maintained their division 1 status for the coming season.

Championship hurling is a different beast to League fare and suffice to say the Dubs will not be under any illusion regarding their task. The winners are straight into the All-Ireland semi-final...losers go back into the qualifiers.

This is the second meeting of these teams this year. They met in Nowlan Park in the League when Kilkenny had already qualified for the final and Dublin were safe from relegation.

Kilkenny had to pull out all the stops and won only in the last six minutes or so. Sunday's game is a different scene and there is silverware on offer and a semi-final place at stake.

Dublin will not be lacking in fitness or effort but this may not be enough to stop Kilkenny's march. Kilkenny have great resolve and will not be turned over too easily. Dublin cannot afford to concede goals to have any chance of victory. Kilkenny have a potent attacking force and I expect a strong showing from them as places are wide open and there for the taking.

Brian Cody has at least nine excellent forwards to choose from and the players are well aware of this. If you are not doing the business let's try someone else....that's his motto and rightly so.

I would fear for Dublin if Kilkenny get a run at them...I do not wish to see Dublin get hammered as I appreciate the Trojan efforts at underage and elsewhere being done in the capital.

Brian Cody's troops will show no mercy and the large spaces in Croke Park are there to be exploited by Kilkenny's forwards. If Dublin can keep it tight they have a fighting chance...if not life will be difficult for them.

I expect the Cats to win but not literally without a dogfight from Anthony Daly's men...Daly was a no nonsense hard and fair hurler in his day...expect to see similar qualities in his men on Sunday afternoon.

The Kilkenny minors face Wexford in the curtain raiser on Sunday and best of luck to them in their quest for provincial glory.

FOOTNOTE;

An insult to club hurlers

I believe that all Intermediate and Senior club games are to be played on July 9 after Sunday's Leinster Final...this I understand is to facilitate training for the county team on the following weekend.

If this be the case this is an insult to all club hurlers in the county...why not let the county players train with their clubs during the week...let the fixtures be played over the weekend and let them go back to Mr Cody on the following Tuesday....is that too much to ask? I certainly don't think so.

What about the supporters? They can attend only one game on Thursday....my biggest concern is for the club player who may never don the Black and Amber...is he a forgotten species?

Those players are the grassroots of the GAA and somebody with some power should stand up for them sooner rather than later!