A handful of qualifiers, an Ulster football semi-final, two Leinster football semi-finals and what should be a helluva replay in Tullamore; when we say a monster weekend of GAA action, we mean a monster weekend of GAA action.
Storyline of the weekend: We’re not privy to the mood in both camps, but one would imagine that the mood amongst the Galway players when they returned for training this week was far jollier than the mood that prevailed amongst the Kilkenny squad.
Going into training a couple of days after letting a ten-point lead slip in ten minutes and having to face Brian Cody would be akin to a teenage son having to face up to his father after taking his brand new car out for a joyride and returning with the front bumper hanging off; let’s just say it wouldn’t have been pretty.
While Galway will take a lot of heart from their recovery, however, when it comes down to cold, hard analysis, the Cats were probably the better side in Tullamore last Saturday and you can bet all the money put behind the bar at the JOE Birthday Party last night (a lot) that Kilkenny won’t concede five goals again this weekend.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times but Galway are so unpredictable that you can’t rule out them doing a number on Kilkenny this weekend and if they do, it would arguably be not just the story of the weekend, but the story of the whole summer.
The performances of Joe Canning, Conor Cooney, Jason Flynn and substitute Jonathan Glynn suggests they have the firepower to pull it off, but they say that an animal is at its most dangerous when its wounded and we fully expect the Cats to bare their claws and get over the line on Saturday night.
Keep an eye out for: If Sky were offered it, we’d guess that they would probably opt to switch their coverage from Clones to Tullamore on Saturday night, but though it won’t be nearly as high-scoring as the hurling, they have an interesting enough game on their hands nonetheless.
This is the type of attention the Armagh forwards can expect on Saturday evening
Always a team that used perceived slights to their advantage in the past, Armagh will be revelling in the fact that everyone in the country appears to be eagerly anticipating a repeat of last year’s Ulster Final clash between Donegal and Monaghan, but we can’t see arrogance being any sort of burden on Malachy O’Rourke’s men on their home patch.
The two counties have reversed roles in recent years in that Monaghan (alongside Donegal and Tyrone) are now very much a Tier One team in Ulster whereas, with all due respect, Armagh are operating at a level slightly below and the Farney men are so far along in their development that it’s hard to see them being toppled at this stage.
Against arguably the meanest defence in the country, Armagh will find opportunities few and far between and there’s enough class in the Monaghan attack to ensure they keep the scoreboard ticking over enough to prevail.
Game likely to be the subject of least discussion on The Sunday Game: It’s qualifier time again this weekend and when the running order is being drawn up in Montrose, we’re sorry to say that Carlow’s meeting with Waterford in Dr. Cullen Park on Saturday afternoon will probably be bottom of the pile.
Jim White mis-pronounced word of the weekend: We’re not expecting Jim to mis-pronounce the name of Monaghan full-back Drew Wylie this weekend, but we’re really looking forward to hearing him say what is arguably the best name in the GAA at the moment.
Bet of the weekend: Wexford (+14) to beat Dublin at 11/10
Odds of 1/66 on a Dublin win over Wexford seem frankly ridiculous but such is the air of invincibility around Jim Gavin’s men at the moment that a handicap of 15 points seems fair enough. Of all the teams in Leinster, however, Wexford have given the Dubs more of a challenge than most and in their last three championship meetings (2010, 2011 and 2012), they have been within four points or fewer at the final whistle.
Dublin will probably grant Ciaran Lyng space, but it’s the other end of the pitch Wexford should be worried about
We don’t think they’ll get that close this weekend but we do think that they’ll be within 14 points at the end. The ominous thing for Wexford and everyone else is that it would represent an achievement of sorts if they manage it.
Did you know? Few teams in the history of any provincial championship can be as well matched as Meath and Kildare have been down through the years. The two counties will meet for the 37th time in Championship this weekend and there’s barely been anything between them in the previous 36 encounters, as was illustrated by the excellent Rob Carroll (@gaelicstats) on Twitter during the week.
Tough to call a winner! pic.twitter.com/Tb7WgiVHX5
— Rob Carroll (@gaelicstats) June 25, 2014
Who’s going to come out on top this weekend? If Mickey Newman doesn’t make it, as is rumoured, we reckon that’ll swing it in favour of the Lilywhites.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
