National Hurling League previews

Previews of this weekend's opening round of National Hurling League fixtures plus an assessment of each counties' prospects this season, compiled by Seán Moran.

All matches 2.30pm unless stated

Division One A

Offaly v Cork, Birr

Offaly

Last year: 1st Division Two A and Division Two winners.
Assessment: Relief is the dominant sentiment in Offaly that the exile in Division Two is over. The priority will be to consolidate but third place brings qualification for the play-offs. Brian Whelahan is recovering from a groin operation and Joe Brady's ankle ligament damage will keep him out for four weeks.
Management view: John McIntyre (manager) - "Our basic priority is to stay up. Nobody in Offaly will get ahead of themselves just because we've been back in training since early November."

Cork

Last year: 1st Division One B and 5th in play-off phase, Division One.
Assessment: Potentially a huge year. Manager John Allen's approach to the league last year was relaxed, opening comfortably and then losing interest in the second phase of the competition. Newtownshandrum are tied up with the club final so there'll be the opportunity to run the rule over a few new faces but wholesale change isn't expected.
Management view: John Allen (manager) - "We're not thinking about three in a row. I'm interested in us playing Clare in the first round of the championship and seeing how it goes from there. The league has changed in hurling. We're guaranteed five games; last year it was eight, which was more beneficial. Maybe something needed to be done to re-jig the league but I saw nothing wrong with last year."

Clare v Down, Ennis, 1.30

Clare

Last year: 3rd Division One A, 2nd in play-off phase, Division One and beaten finalists.
Assessment: With all hell breaking loose off the field Anthony Daly will be glad that the focus will now switch to hurling. Brian Quinn and David Forde have retired whereas Seán McMahon and Niall Gilligan are carrying medium-term injuries. Top three will be the target.
Management view: Anthony Daly (manager) - "We're hoping to make the quarter-finals but also trying to strike a balance and have a look at a few players. We've eight of last year's team selected for this weekend and that'll be the way for most of the weeks. Last year's run was good for confidence."

Down

Last year: 6th Division One B and 5th in relegation phase, Division One.
Assessment: Down are the consensus favourites to go down or at least to end up fighting it out with Antrim. Ballygalget's performance in the club semi-final has lifted morale but it's going to be a tough campaign. Gabriel Clarke will be missing with an elbow injury and it's not yet known which of the other Ballygalget players are immediately available for the county panel.
Management view - John Crossey (manager) - "We'd be looking to stay in Division One and develop some of the younger players. The experience last year of playing Division One opponents carried enormous benefits"."

Waterford v Wexford, Dungarvan

Waterford

Last year: 4th Division One A and 1st in relegation phase, Division One.
Assessment: By their alternating standards of recent times Waterford are due a good year. The league has been - in retrospect anyway - a useful indicator of what to expect. Fergal Hartley has retired whereas Ken McGrath is still serving a suspension and Tony Browne is taking some time off.
Management view: Justin McCarthy (manager) - "We will be bringing in a few new players. It's important that they get experience in stepping up a level and get used to training and the whole set-up so that we get it gelled together for the summer. But we don't want to get left behind either."

Wexford

Last year: 2nd Division One B and 6th in play-off phase, Division One.
Assessment: Wexford have a recent history of misfiring in the league and haven't won the competition for 33 years. It now looks certain Adrian Fenlon and Colm Kehoe have retired while Dessie Mythen will be out with a broken finger for most of the campaign. They could really do with making the play-offs.
Management view: Mick Kinsella (selector) - "We've never seemed to take the league seriously recently but we're hoping to get to the quarter-finals and after that everything's a bonus. "There are three or four players we'll definitely be taking a close look at."

Division One B

Antrim v Galway, Casement Park

Antrim

Last year: 5th Division One B and 4th in play-off relegation phase, Division One.
Assessment: This will be a difficult year for Antrim as they try to pick up the pieces after the disappointing end to Dinny Cahill's tenure. Manager Jim McKiernan has the unusual problem of having players tied up with a football club, after St Gall's Ulster triumph. Otherwise Jim Connolly has retired and Liam Watson is playing soccer this year.
Management view: Jim McKernan (manager) - "Our number one priority is to stay in Division One. We've been in free fall recently and it's important to steady the ship. I've been involved at minor and under-21 and I know there are some good squads coming through so it's important we stay on the map."

Galway

Last year: 2nd Division One A and 3rd in play-off phase, Division One.
Assessment: A big year for Galway with last year's All-Ireland appearance feeding expectation. Conor Hayes isn't too troubled by injuries but with Portumna and Loughrea in club finals plus Alan Kerins and Aonghus Callanan involved with Salthill in this weekend's football semi-final there is plenty of unavailability. Eugene Cloonan is back and dual player Kevin Brady has also returned to the fold.
Management view: Conor Hayes (manager) - "The team this weekend features 10 of the All-Ireland team but we also need to take a look at other options. We need a settled team for the championship, which we didn't have last year and were lucky to get away with the chopping and changing."

Kilkenny v Laois, Nowlan Park

Kilkenny

Last year: 1st Division One A, 1st in play-off phase, Division One and winners.
Assessment: This has the feel of a reconstruction year for the holders, who have looked tired at various stages of the past two seasons. Henry Shefflin and Martin Comerford are both out with groin injuries while DJ Carey is sitting out the league. Conor Phelan has been forced to retire due to a heart condition and Peter Barry has yet to decide on his future.
Management view: Martin Fogarty (selector) - "Our objective is to build a team for the championship but every game you go out, you're hoping to win. Although we won it, we did very little last year for the league and went into it much the same as we are this year - not going out to win it but not going out not to win it."

Laois

Last year: 5th Division One A and 3rd in relegation phase, Division One.
Assessment: Dinny Cahill takes over from his former collaborator with the Tipperary minors, Paudie Butler, and inherits a panel that has proved competitive in the league but less so in the All-Ireland championship. Tommy Fitzgerald is in Australia for the year whereas Liam Tynan has retired from playing. They'll settle for safety while aiming for a play-off spot.
Management view: Joe Dollard (selector) - "We're confident enough after running Kilkenny so close in the Walsh Cup. Paul Cuddy came back training with us last week so we're hoping to do well. Then again anything can happen on the day."

Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds

Limerick

Last year: 4th Division One B and 2nd in relegation phase, Division One.
Assessment: At last month's launch of the league, Limerick were named as the hurling team on the rise by rival managers John Allen and Babs Keating. That's a view with a certain amount of currency. The dual issue has turned in the hurlers' favour with Stephen Lucey the latest to concentrate on the small ball. Brian Begley is back in training but Peter Lawlor is not available this year.
Management view: Ger Cunningham (selector) - "We would like a few wins because we're not used to winning matches but more importantly we're interested in good performances. In our heads we have a team for the championship but we need to look at a few positions."

Tipperary

Last year: 3rd Division One B and 4th in play-off phase, Division One.
Assessment: Most interest will focus on the various personnel and positioning deployed by Babs Keating in his first season back in charge. The most prominent injuries are Eoin Kelly's hamstring and Micheál Webster's knee. A good run in the league would not be the top priority.
Management view: Babs Keating (manager) - "I'd definitely like to make the league quarter-finals because that keeps interest up. It can be monotonous training at this time of year without any matches to break it up. We're unlucky in that we've our hardest matches first when most teams are missing players and that could leave us chasing scoring differences."

Division Two A

Derry v Dublin, Lavey: Vital that Dublin get out of this division, as prolonged exposure will cripple their prospects of championship improvement. This should be a winning start with Derry in meltdown after a disastrous summer.

Carlow v Roscommon, Dr Cullen Park: Carlow had an excellent season last year, famously beating Offaly, and will be one of the promotion challengers.

Wicklow v Meath, Arklow: Meath are another side to have fallen drastically off the pace since their recent heyday. They can win this though.

Division Two B

Mayo v Kildare, Ballina: The most attainable of newly-promoted Mayo's regulation fixtures and they'll give it a shot.

London v Kerry, Ruislip: The Rackard Cup holders entertain Kerry in what should be an away win.

Bye: Westmeath

Division Three A

The qualifiers here are likely to be between Sligo, relegated despite some battling performances in Division Two, and Donegal, who narrowly lost promotion to Mayo and Louth.

Leitrim v Louth, Carrick-on-Shannon; Sligo v Monaghan, Markievicz Park.

Bye: Donegal.

Division Three B

Armagh look the strongest side, followed by Tyrone with Longford and Fermanagh scrapping for the final play-off place.

Cavan v Longford, Ballyconnell; Fermanagh v Tyrone, Enniskillen.

Bye: Armagh.