National Football League
Saturday
Division One
Kerry v Mayo, Austin Stack Park, 4pm [Live, RTÉ One] – This pair have had some belters in regulation fixtures in recent times. Mayo, the hope rising again, arrive in Tralee in clear second place. Kerry are a point behind and so this is effectively an eliminator for the final. For someone, whose five All-Irelands have all been preceded by league success, Jack O’Connor curiously has never made it even to the following year’s final. That could well change this season.
He has had a good campaign, bringing in new talent and blending it with established stars. Their one defeat – in common with Mayo, up in Donegal – was less than traumatic, as they travelled without David Clifford and nine others of last July’s starting team. Mayo’s more attack-driven style to date will exert pressure but Kerry have the meanest defence in the league and their formidable forwards can be expected to exploit the greater number of chances their visitors have been correspondingly giving up at the other end. Verdict: Kerry
Dublin v Armagh, Croke Park, 7pm – Two very different campaigns lead to an arm wrestle for a place in next year’s Division One. Armagh have been juggling the absence of key players but performing reasonably well only for tight matches to end frustratingly in lost points, leaving them stranded in the bottom two with this weekend’s opponents. Lose and Kieran McGeeney’s team will be relegated. Dublin gave themselves a lifeline in Roscommon and fired over five two-pointers along the way, including a free from Hugh O’Sullivan, who started in goal and in general kicked excellently. Maybe the win has kick-started Dublin but on a mean line through respective performances, Armagh, who also have a good recent record both against Dublin in Croke Park, have been playing better. Verdict: Armagh
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Division Two
Louth v Derry, DEFY Páirc Mhuire, Ardee, 3pm – A great couple of weeks for Louth, who followed a desperately unlucky defeat by Meath by defeating both Tyrone and Cavan. Derry have been showing their best form in two years and are hot favourites to go up. Perhaps surprisingly, Gavin Devlin says he’s resting the in-form Ciarán Downey but the Louth manager will be hoping for a competitive display against the highflying visitors. Verdict: Derry
Cork v Kildare, Pairc Uí Rinn, 5pm – How Cork process the shock of a 20-point drubbing in Derry will be key to this. A week’s warm-weather training in Portugal may have helped erase the bad memory and they have Brian O’Driscoll and Tommy Walsh back from injury as well as Ian Maguire’s suspension completed. Alex Beirne is a big loss for the visitors, pedalling fast to stay out of relegation and needing a response to the dire display against Meath. Verdict: Cork
Meath v Tyrone, Croke Park, 5pm – Meath announced their challenge here in Croke Park on the first weekend by beating Derry. Defeat by Cork has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works but victory here would maintain the momentum of the last round’s big win in Newbridge, highlighted by the displays of Jordan Morris and Ciarán Caulfield. Malachy O’Rourke has been missing very big names and has just lost another player, Rory Brennan, who opted off the panel this week. Verdict: Meath
Division Three
Fermanagh v Laois, Brewster Park, 6pm – The window for Fermanagh’s potential survival is rapidly narrowing and they need to win both of the remaining matches. Laois have recovered from a poor start and had a recent impressive win over Westmeath. Verdict: Laois
Division Four
Carlow v London, Netwatch Cullen Park, 6pm – Carlow’s unexpected defeat in Longford put a stop to their gallop but they still lead the division and have the ability to put away competitive visitors. Verdict: Carlow
Sunday
Division One
Monaghan v Galway, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 1.30pm [Live, TG4 Player] – Galway must have been disappointed not to take the points against a notably dialled-down – and 14-man – Donegal but it’s been a useful enough league for Pádraic Joyce, who has taken a look at a number of new players himself, especially in the forwards where Fionn and Oisín McDonagh and Ciarán Mulhern have seen plenty of action. To exorcise the spectre of relegation, the visitors need to win this and may still have to beat Dublin in their last fixture. For now, they should be able to put away unfortunate Monaghan, who have been unable to carry the burden of a long injury-list and are set to return to Division Two. Verdict: Galway
Roscommon v Donegal, King & Moffatt Hyde Park, 1.30pm [Live, TG4] – Roscommon were very poor against Dublin. Previously high-performing forwards were unable to hit a barn door and will expect to respond with a performance here. It can be very difficult to assess Donegal’s matches until the team selection is to hand but if “throwing” a league final place is the plan, Jim McGuinness is leaving it late. Verdict: Donegal
Division Two
Offaly v Cavan, Glenisk O’Connor Park, 2pm – The bottom two fight it out with a win imperative for the visitors if they are to climb to safety and even more critical for Offaly who officially drop if they lose this. Verdict: Cavan
Division Three
Clare v Wexford, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, 1pm – Promotion dust-up par excellence, as two of the three teams on six points clash. The home side are favoured after a brilliant raid on Limerick, featuring a combined 1-15 from Mark McInerney and Eoin Cleary. Verdict: Clare
Sligo v Down, Markievicz Park, 2pm – Down to maintain the league’s only 100 per cent record. Verdict: Down
Westmeath v Limerick, TEG Cusack Park, 2pm – Westmeath can stay in the hunt for promotion. Verdict: Westmeath
Division Four
Waterford v Antrim, Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 1pm – A big rebound for Antrim last time out sets them up for this. Verdict: Antrim
Leitrim v Longford, Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 2pm – Second-placed Longford can maintain their push at the top of the table. Verdict: Longford
Wicklow v Tipperary, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2pm – Might the bad result in Portglenone leave Wicklow vulnerable in this effective promotion eliminator? Probably not. Verdict: Wicklow
National Hurling League
Division 1A
Waterford v Tipperary, Walsh Park, 2pm [Live, TG4 Player/App, deferred coverage, TG4] – Peter Queally must have been despairing when he saw Kilkenny being dismantled last week, having led them by two in injury-time last month before losing. Injury woes still haven’t subsided and although Dessie Hutchinson is back, Stephen Bennett misses out with a hamstring injury.
The All-Ireland champions are arriving well stacked judging by the selection for the postponed match with captain, Ronan Maher named for a first start of the season after injury. Waterford need to win to avoid the drop whereas Tipp will not want to be welcoming Kilkenny in a week’s time for an actual relegation play-off. Verdict: Tipperary
