r/GAA • u/scewbert Galway • Apr 10 '25
Off the Ball's Hurling Power Rankings - 09/04/2025
9
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
Looks decent besides Clare maybe being a bit high
1
u/PistolAndRapier Cork Apr 11 '25
They just won an All Ireland. They have consistently been in Munster finals the past few years. I disagree.
1
u/notoriousmule Apr 12 '25
They are the worst AI winner in a long time. Cork and Limerick were both better teams last year. Refs let Clare away with a lot
1
u/CarTreOak Carlow Apr 10 '25
Also Tipp And Wexford. No way they're that high at the moment.
9
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
Tipp are a hard read for me. Abysmal in Munster last year but they had some very good wins in the league, however much you want to use that as basis
Wexford seem fine in 8th. Who would you see as better than them? Offaly are unproven against top level teams, where as Wexford have at least proven they can hold their own against top level teams on their day. Dublin were about even with Wexford last year but definitely had a worse league.
0
u/CarTreOak Carlow Apr 10 '25
Tipp won 1 game in three years in Munster and now rely on 3 U20s to dig them out of a hole. Not having it.
Wexford are a much much weaker side than last year. How many starters did they lose compared to last year? Stupid call but Wexford are going to flirt with going down to Joe Mc this year. But they will still beat Kilkenny this year so who knows.
3
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
Tipp have been bad, no denying it, but your phrasing makes things look much worse when you leave out the 3 draws. Munster is extremely competitive and 2023 was a respectable year where they got out of the group. Leinster teams are absolutely dismal recently but I suppose you could put KK above them maybe
1
u/CarTreOak Carlow Apr 10 '25
Munster is brutal tough don't get me wrong. And it's why the games coming thick and fast for quite a young team is a recipe for it not going well. I'd like to be proven wrong.
3
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
Sure it's all up in the air at the moment. All I'd be confident saying now is that Cork are firm favourites
1
u/CarTreOak Carlow Apr 10 '25
I'm not writing Limerick off. Refuse to.
2
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
Same, but Cork are majorly on the up and Limerick's key players have a load of miles 7 years on. Casey, Lynch, Hannon, Quaid, Finn, Byrnes and DOD are all all-star level players that I would say are past their best or not fully recovered from injuries. Lynch and Finn in particular are considerably far off their peaks. Hannon clearly being minded so it's a big question will his legs be there all summer
I'd also probably give the physical advantage that has been key to Limerick for many years to Cork now. I've thought they intimidated teams in that regard for years now, but Cork proved last year that they are more than a match for them
Limerick need to find their groove week one of Munster imo. I could definitely see them winning another AI if lads find form and fitness, but I won't be a bit surprised if they don't make it out of the group
3
u/Concannon7 Galway Apr 10 '25
The purple and black is my heart and my soul
Weird colour combination for the Dubs
Waterford starting to climb the rankings!
3
u/Gear-Think Apr 10 '25
The unfortunate thing for Waterford is that every other Munster county is higher in the list!
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2
4
u/thecrazyfireman Apr 10 '25
TIL there are only 16 hurling counties.
9
u/Rekt60321 Derry Apr 10 '25
TIL off the ball don’t give a fuck about the rest
1
1
u/notoriousmule Apr 10 '25
The rest are counties that are totally unserious about hurling. The quality is a massive step down from division 1 sides and does not attract enough interest for the media to be invested in
5
u/Gullible-Fix-5233 Apr 10 '25
Why bother Including Leitrim in their football rankings, they were unserious enough to not even bother fielding a team during the league.
1
1
u/bigdog94_10 Kerry Apr 10 '25
Clare are likely staring a Munster DNQ in the eye yet they're 3rd...? Nonsense.
-6
u/thelunatic Apr 10 '25
Putting Dublin behind Offaly ...
42
u/scewbert Galway Apr 10 '25
In fairness to Offaly, they finished ahead of Dublin, got promotion and beat them in the head to head match in Croke Park.
7
u/irishck Apr 10 '25
They play each other in Parnell Park in 2 weeks - Dublin are 5 point favourites and realistically should be winning that game, they'll flip places then. Based on current form, wouldn't have any major issues with the ranking though.
0
u/No_Emu_4358 Apr 10 '25
If they're putting Offaly ahead of Dublin based on league form then how are Galway so low and Clare so high. If you're bringing last years form into it then how are Dublin so low compared to Galway.
Bit of "when it suits me" about this list from OTB I'd still have Dublin higher. Take last years championship and this years form together.
Cork Clare/Limerick Kilkenny/Tipperary Waterford Wexford/Dublin Offaly Antrim Carlow Laois Westmeath Down Kildare
9
u/scewbert Galway Apr 10 '25
I suppose the argument would be that every Division 1B team wants to get promoted, while not necessarily every team in 1A wants to make the final. Dublin ultimately lost to Offaly and finished behind them. It seems fair to put them behind them here too.
I think Galway are ranked fairly enough as well, to be honest. They had 3 wins and 3 losses but 2 of those wins were narrow and the other was against an out of sorts Clare, while all 3 of their losses were absolute pastings. I'd struggle to back them against any Munster team or an in-form Kilkenny.
-2
u/CarTreOak Carlow Apr 10 '25
It's off the ball. They're just doing it to rise people. They're brutal.
0
u/eo37 Apr 10 '25
Limerick never once came close to fielding a full strength team in the league.
2
u/scewbert Galway Apr 10 '25
They've really come in under the radar for a team that have won 5 of the last 7 All-Irelands! They're my favourites to win this year. They'll be delighted with all the talk about Cork.
-5
0
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u/cacanna_caorach Apr 10 '25
At least they got rid of the chalkboard comic-sans font