Can Lions reach heights without big Leonard?
With so much at stake each game promises to be a thriller but there was bad news for Lions' coach, Tom Hehir, this week, when Ricardo Leonard was ruled out with torn abdominal muscles.
"He has been told to rest for eight to 10 weeks so that's the end of his season," Coach Hehir said. "It is unfortunate for him and for us, because so many of our plans rotated around him.
"We needed a big man going into this game, but he has been troubled by the injury since the cup final weekend and it worsened last weekend. When he went to the doctor, on Monday, he was put on anti-inflamatories and told to rest.
"So it is back to the old story. The lads will just have to step up and I hope they will respond better than they did last weekend against Demons.
"We've been in this situation before. We thought our season was over when Jon Steven got injured but here we are just one game away from a semi-final place, and, if that is not enough to get the lads going, I don't know what will. It is all about hunger from here on and we are due a bit of luck."
The good news in the Killester camp is that Branislav Tomic has received intensive physiotherapy, over the last two weeks, and should be match ready by the weekend. These teams have had two tough battles this season, one in the semi-final of the cup and Limerick won both.
Roma St. Vincent's are expecting to return to full strength for their clash against Gleneagle Lakers. American Kenny McFarland had to return to the US last weekend for family reasons, but has returned. McFarland is also recovering from an ankle injury and Coach Boylan is hoping he can still play a major part.
A week ago, Lakers closed the book on their season having accepted that Abrakebabra Tigers were through following their midweek derby victory, but then Neptune pulled off a shock victory over the Tralee side and brought coach Cormac O'Donoghue's side back in.
"It appeared to be all over," he admitted. "I took my wife out to dinner on Saturday night and we were just about to sit down at the table when the news came through that Neptune had beaten Tralee."
O'Donoghue had to regroup his forces on Monday, and, if they continue to play the game that has served them well throughout the second half of the season netting them six wins from eight then they will be difficult to beat.
The Women's SuperLeague reaches the semi-final stages tomorrow night and, significantly, both UL Aughinish and Bausch & Lomb Wildcats, who have been unbeatable at home, have away games champions UL travelling to Co Westmeath to play Carna Transport Mercy, in Mount Temple, and Wildcats travel to Little Island to play Vienna Woods Glanmire, the most improved team in the country this year.
Mercy have beaten UL twice this year, but UL have gone from strength to strength, reclaiming the Cup and reinforcing their defence of the league title.
Courtney McDaniel has been improving with every game alongside Michelle Aspell, but Tony Hehir has so much talent at his disposal that he must be confident of making another final.
The meeting of Vienna Woods Glanmire and Bausch & Lomb Wildcats brings Sean O'Regan once again to the courtside against Glanmire the team he coached last season.
Mark Scannell, former Men's SuperLeague coach, has taken Glanmire to new heights. They beat Wildcats by 37 points on their visit to Little Island early in the season. Wildcats turned that decision around, a few weeks ago, and Glanmire have lost their last three games on the road.
Coach Scannell will have them fired up for this while Sean O'Regan will know what to expect.
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