A WEEK after the cup play offs come two potential league finals as the top two teams in both the men's and women's divisions meet in potentially decisive campaign matches.

Certainly, for the men of Tralee who were not involved in the cup, there is an ideal opportunity to catch Star who are effectively league leaders, in a tired and perhaps emotional state when the teams face up to each other in Belfast on Sunday.

Star lost for the first time in almost three months to Ballina in the cup final five days ago and the manner and margin of the defeat (82-69) brought a ten match winning run to a very abrupt end.

Tralee have former Player of the Year, Ricardo Leonard, back to his old high scoring form since the New Year while American guard Nigel Palmer, a relatively recent acquisition, has fitted in well at the Kerry club.

On examining the squads, it appears that Star have a slight edge with their greater depth on the bench. However, in the aftermath of the cup in which American Javan Dupree was played out of the game by the marking of Liam McHale, and Gareth McGuire posed only an intermittent threat, their confidence may be suspect.

It promises to be an absorbing game and the determining factor should be how Star have recovered from the shattering disappointment of losing the final to the bottom team in the league.

That depressing position will concentrate the minds of Ballina tomorrow as they visit one of the in form teams in the top division, St Paul's Killarney. The Mayo club's situation at the bottom of the league is critical and as things stand, they must win three of their last six games to have any chance of avoiding relegation.

Meanwhile, the women's league meeting of joint leaders Naomh Mhuire and Wildcats at Inchicore tomorrow could well determine the destination of that title.

Both Mhuire and Wildcats played poorly in the play offs and have a point to prove tomorrow. In particular, Mhuire's experience of losing three league finals in a row gives them an added incentive.

However, without a fully fit Eilis Ni Laoire, they are vulnerable under the boards and with Gillian Hayes likely to be fully recovered from injury, Wildcats have a good chance of avenging an early season home defeat.