Taking stock of hurling counties after round robin

Five weeks in and just eight teams remain in the race for Liam MacCarthy.

What have we learned from the conclusion of the provincial round-robin stages?

Waterford woe

Oh Waterford. League champions, and widely seen as Limerick's most likely challengers, the Déise failed to deliver on their promise in desperately disappointing fashion.

What happened? Did they train too hard too early and peak for the league? A bewildered Liam Cahill didn't think so.

Former manager Derek McGrath, who had called them 'the team to beat’ following the league, thought the surprise defeat to Cork shredded confidence.

Either way, losing a must-win game by 12 points against an already qualified Clare team was a miserable end to a summer that promised so much.

Looking at his native county's place in the table might at least provide some consolation to Cahill that taking the Tipp job would have been even worse.

Banner flying high

That Clare could afford to rest Tony Kelly and John Conlon and still crush Waterford underlined their new status as the team Limerick most need to worry about.

Shane O’Donnell (0-05 from play) and Peter Duggan are both in superb form after missing last season while David Fitzgerald smashed 2-03 from midfield.

Brian Lohan’s men are purring and after becoming the first side not to lose to the Treaty since 2019 a week ago, they will intend to go one better in the Munster final and end a 24-year wait for provincial silverware.

Galway and, to a slightly lesser extent, Kilkenny, both retain good prospects but right now it’s hard to see anyone other than Clare beating the Green Machine, who had the weekend off.

It has also been a good campaign for Westmeath, who backed up their impressive draw with Wexford by hammering Laois to guarantee