The final weekend of the league has added drama thanks to the GAA’s insistence that all of the games throw in at the same time. This of course is designed “to cut out any messing”. Division 1 might be a good place to start where that is concerned, because there could very well be a battle to avoid qualifying to meet Dublin in a league final. Strange as that statement sounds, the prospect of a hammering from Dublin in Croke Park on Sunday week will not appeal to many managers. That sounds like a job for Kerry, mind you, and a win at home to Tyrone, along with Dublin beating Monaghan and Mayo beating Donegal, would see them get another crack at the Dubs.

Dublin can actually decide their league final victims too. Should they finally throw off the shackles of this 30-something game unbeaten run and lose to Monaghan in Clones, this would see the Ulster county top the table and through to a final. In that not-so-unlikely event, a Donegal win over Mayo in Castlebar would see an all-Ulster league final with not a Dub in sight. To cut a long story short, there are multiple permutations still alive in the top flight and Cavan beating Roscommon in the Hyde could potentially throw the relegation decisions up in the air too.

In every round of the league to date – and there have been six of them – there has been at least one draw. One of those would keep Mayo and Kerry in Division 1 while avoiding the dreaded Dubs a week later. Conspiracy theories apply here.

ADVERTISEMENT

In Division 2, the plot is less thick. Kildare are up with a game to spare and travel to Galway who are two points clear of Meath in second and barring a heavy Tribe loss in Pearse Stadium and a big Royal win in Ennis, the top two are already decided. The relegation battle will be decided too if Cork beat Down at home – something that is surely within their compass. That will see the losers of Fermanagh and Derry join Down in the third flight, thus preserving Clare’s status thank you very much, although we are capable of beating Meath at home, the first serving in a tasty football and hurling double-header in Cusack Park.

Division 3 has also gone to the wire, with Armagh and Tipperary meeting in the Athletic Grounds to decide who accompanies Louth in promotion. A point will do the home side, who are on fire in front of goal this spring, being the second highest scorers in the country (after Westmeath). They should bounce back.

The relegation battle is perfectly poised as Offaly and Laois play each other, as do Antrim and Longford, with all four starting on four points each at 2pm. By 3.30pm, the two winners will be safe – a draw would condemn Offaly to the drop and bring out the calculators after that.

Division 4 has long been decided – Westmeath and Wexford advance. Those two meet in the divisional final on Saturday week and met in an odd fixture on Sunday last. Previously unbeaten Wexford lost 3-24 to 0-9 to a rampant Westmeath. I appear to be the only one who raised my eyebrows at that result and the faith punters had in it, epitomised by an email I got from Boyle Sports on Friday morning last, two days before the game. Liam Glynn, Boyle Sports spokesperson, wrote: “We have seen a massive surge of bets come in for Westmeath on Friday morning to defeat Wexford in Division 4 on Sunday and with no sign of the support drying up, we have had no choice but to cut Tom Cribben’s side in to 1/3 to win and ease Wexford out to 3/1 as we haven’t seen a single penny for the Yellowbellies.”

An “experimental” Wexford side took the field last Sunday, expect a different one on Saturday week.

Staying with the paranoia thread, how lucky it is that the GAA ended up with four football and hurling double-headers on Sunday when they made the hurling quarter-final draws. And it would have been five if Kilkenny had a football team.

Galway and Waterford meet in Pearse Stadium after the Tribe and Lilywhites. Watching the Déise determination on Sunday makes me think they might be on the edge of a roll. Not due out in championship until June, they can make a league final. I’d also expect Tom Devine to have earned a starting role this weekend.

Cork secured top-flight status against Tipp last Sunday and can go one better this Sunday when they face Limerick in the last eight. Both teams will be hoping for a few more games in April and will want league progression. This makes this tie potentially the best of the four. Expect fireworks.

Kilkenny and Wexford in Nowlan Park might attract the biggest crowd but I suspect this a game Davy Fitz didn’t want. They’re in it now though and can’t roll over. Having said that, there might be mind games at play. At the very least Davy will not be playing any of the hand he might throw out in championship in June. Kilkenny to win and learn very little. Tipperary and Offaly is an unfortunate quirk of this league format. The result is a formality and of little use to either.

Not so in Ennis where Dublin and Clare clash in the vital relegation decider. There are whispers the league will be redrawn later this year, possibly making this encounter a moot contest, but neither management will treat it accordingly. For now, this is the most important hurling game of the weekend. It is difficult to beat the same team in the same competition twice; the Banner are trying to beat the Dubs for the second time in three weeks. They will be helped by home advantage, hopefully a bumper crowd swelled by the football appetiser, and some Ballyea freshness in the squad.

Ger Cunningham might counter with the Cuala contingent and some blow-back from their battling loss in Parnell Park to Kilkenny. I have a sneaking suspicion for the Dubs.

Should any of the hurling matches finish in a draw after normal and extra time this weekend, we’ll have a novel free-taking shootout. Might be nice to see one of those and I wouldn’t see any harm in going straight to that in lieu of extra time.