This weekend is football-focused, as Leinster and Ulster host the last two provincial semi-finals, while the qualifiers see a couple of gentle openers preceding a real avalanche of tasty treats that will come our way the following weekend.

Ironically for hurling supporters, the biggest event of the weekend might be the qualifiers draw on Monday morning, with Waterford the latest members of the group of death. On Sunday the hurlers of Laois and Carlow enter that fray too, good luck to both, it might be time for Carlow to swim with the sharks!

The Dubs take centre stage this weekend, back in the comfortable surroundings of HQ with their supporters safe enough in their local geography to be able to all arrive into the ground five minutes before throw-in against Westmeath.

The midlanders are being given no chance of course, with talk already turning to the Leinster final and the hope that Kildare can put it up to Dublin after the Lilywhites looked very tidy against Meath in the first semi-final.

For the Dubs that should be dangerous talk and for Westmeath that idle chatter sounds like the first coordinates of an ambush, but alas wishing won’t make it so.

The bookies currently have the midlanders at 18/1 in a two horse race. Another insult, but again, it is mired in logic.

What the underdogs can take to Croke Park is the sharpness that playing three weekends in a row brings. In notching 3-17 against Offaly in Mullingar they rediscovered a scoring touch, and against the Dubs back line that’s the very least you need to bring to make it a contest.

The realistic aspirations of Westmeath are to be still in the game at half time and take it from there, hopefully to a higher level. That however is a tall order for a team that plied its trade in division four in the spring, even if they are just two years removed from a Leinster campaign that saw them win three games before falling to the Dubs respectfully enough in the final (0-6 to 2-13).

The champions for their part have not been overly champion-like in recent months. The Diarmuid Connolly distractions, including the appeal conundrums, are exactly what a manager doesn’t want in high summer.

The Dubs need a scare put into them and Jim Gavin for one would be quietly happy if Dublin’s shield of invincibility was pierced for about an hour of a game before the tougher challenges of the later rounds begin.

We are seeing bright lights of rejuvenation and progress from the likes of Tyrone and Galway, while Kerry and Mayo haven’t gone away. This championship race is not the two- or three-horse tussle of recent times – perhaps Kildare can put it up to Dublin for an hour.

We reluctantly give Westmeath about 35 minutes.

Monaghan and Down are the protagonists in the Ulster semi-final in the Athletic Grounds and the prize for the winners is Clones and Tyrone in the Ulster final. On the perceived good side of the draw, Monaghan will not fear Mickey Harte’s men if they can get past what could be a plucky Down side playing with nothing to lose. Such teams make favourites wary, but the pick is still Monaghan.

This is a team that have been quietly fancied by a few knowledgeable football folk in recent weeks, mostly on the back of the fact that the side is apparently no longer totally reliant on Conor McManus for scores. That can only be a good thing, although it is no harm for McManus to remind us now and again that he can still do the lion’s share. Perhaps the Ulster final is the place to do that.

QUALIFIER ACTION

The side that Down overcame in the first round of the Ulster championship, Armagh, restart their summer with a qualifier tie against Fermanagh and perhaps from this pairing will come one of the springers in the back-door market.

For some reason, and one I can only put down to karma, I have a suspicion that Armagh could get on a run yet in June and July, perhaps reaching the last twelve with confidence flowing and the penny dropping. Down’s level of resistance against Monaghan might stand up their form in just getting past Armagh a few weeks back.

Themselves and Fermanagh meet at the unusual time of 6.30pm on Sunday evening in the Athletic Grounds, a time if ever there was one, to sneak a result!

The footballers of Offaly and Cavan are another 6.30pm Sunday evening throw-in. The short week will hardly help the Faithful who went down by eleven points to Westmeath last Saturday. Twenty years ago Offaly were Leinster football champions, after a thrilling Saturday night replay against then All-Ireland champions Meath, a game I had the privilege to attend, but recent times have been tough on both the Faithful hurlers and footballers. Cavan will not lighten their mood.

Limerick and Wexford also meet in the back door, the Yellow Bellies to capitalise on the wonderful GAA vibes flowing through the county!

Carlow travel to London this weekend to meet London in the new look Ruislip, now known as McGovern Park, and they should have enough for the Exiles on the back of their defiance for long periods against Dublin. Hopefully that is followed by a decent draw back in Dr Cullen Park, where Carlow would fancy their chances against most back-door teams.

The only hurling game of the weekend involves recently-crowned Christy Ring champions Carlow against Laois. There has been steady progress in Carlow in recent years even if they were plying their trade in the Christy Ring this year, while Laois have struggled after a few mini-resurgences under Cheddar Plunkett.

The winners of this tie go into the hat for most eagerly awaited of qualifier draws on Monday morning. The potential reward for the winners is a home match against Kilkenny and that would really light up Dr Cullen Park, even if it robs us of the Cats V Tipperary cracker that us neutrals really want!

Carlow might be outsiders but they have something that has become a stranger to Laois hurling these days, namely momentum that comes from winning. This could be the only shock of the weekend. CL