Box office battles

It’ll be a season of tight margins on and off the pitch — but if these pairings materialise, the GAA will be singing all the way to the bank manager

Kerry v Cork, Munster SFC final, Killarney, July 3

THIS possible, indeed likely, provincial decider could well turn out to be the All-Ireland final pairing.

Can Kerry, who have managed to convince their seasoned winners to remain on for one more year, knock their neighbours off their perch? Or is it Cork, who have been told by all and sundry that their All-Ireland crown doesn’t have the same sparkle having failed to conquer the Kingdom, never mind precede it with a Munster title?

Victory will mean a momentum-breaking four-week break for the winners until the All-Ireland quarter-finals while it’s worth pointing out only one team has followed up Munster honours with getting their hands on Sam in the last five years.

But who’s kidding? The prize here would be all psychological and so worthwhile.

Tipp v Waterford, Munster SHC final, Thurles July 10

BOTH teams are fancied to come through their respective sides of the draw in Munster. Like Kerry v Cork in the football, don’t be surprised if this match-up turns out to be the ultimate one in September.

Tipperary’s confidence is booming although they have to overcome the county’s affliction of being unable to put All-Ireland titles back-to-back. That will be a driving force as will the determination to go through the front door on this occasion.

Waterford are the coming team, having rebranded themselves as a team more than a bunch of individuals, as Brian Corcoran once called them. Aside from Cork, they experimented more than other established hurling counties during the league and fared well. Their two defeats, to Tipp and Kilkenny, were hardly disheartening.

Last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to the eventual champions grated them badly. Scalping Tipp on the way to a provincial title would be satisfying.

Meath v Louth, Leinster SFC final, Croke Park July 10

ARE we too greedy to hope for a repeat of last year’s controversial showdown? Maybe so and ironically it would appear Louth’s chances delivering on their side of the draw are greater. There’s the motivational factor as well and the confidence gained from winning the Division 3 title.

Champions Meath’s path to the final is littered with mines and it remains to be seen whether the players fully buy into the northern gospel preached by Messers McEnaney, Grimley and McElkennon. Snatching their Division 2 status from the jaws of relegation will have given Meath something to work with as they go into their Leinster opener on June 5. As much as they feel little guilt about their 2010 victory, winning one without an asterisk would be sweet.

For the majority, the neutrals, seeing Louth get the chance to earn some justice would be heavenly. If that opportunity came against Meath it would be billed as poetic.

Dublin v Kilkenny, Leinster SHC final, Croke Park July 3

HURLING’S glass ceiling has been well and truly smashed by Dublin but they won’t know where they stand until they face Kilkenny in championship fare.

While it’s fairly certain the Cats’ powers are waning, they were missing half a dozen of their main men in the league final. Also, given the age profile of the team Brian Cody is likely being more economical with his players’ powers. To suggest they’d like another tilt at Dublin would be a poor sell. Tipp remain the big scalp but softening the Blues’ cough is the short-term goal.

Things have been getting a bit silly about Anthony Daly’s men. One respected pundit and All-Ireland-winning boss believes they’re only second to Tipperary in the standings. Get to another Leinster final and they’ll justify some of the hype. Beat Kilkenny in it and we might believe it. Until then, it’s best to let their hurling do the talking.

Down v Donegal, Ulster SFC Clones July 17

A GAME that would attract considerable attention if only for the fact any result would break Tyrone and Armagh’s stranglehold on the Anglo-Celt Cup.

It sure wouldn’t be for the quality of football on show. Donegal have turned themselves into a systematic team and while they might not be pretty on the eye, nobody can argue with the results they are garnering.

Down aren’t as cavalier as they used to be, which also takes away from the aesthetic of their football.

Still, James McCartan’s side still possess enough flair in the likes of Martin Clarke and Benny Coulter to endear themselves to most of the neutrals.

Donegal’s road to the final is a longer if less rockier than Down’s but if they are to finally shake off the tag as being a qualifier team, they must have designs on going all the way in the province.