Hurling Accusations

The season is taking shape and I don't like what I see. Are we going to have to suffer more cheap triumphalism from the charmless Cody (we haven't forgotten his antics at the final whistle last year). Kilkenny combine the sublime skills of Sheflin with the controlled aggression of Tommy Walsh - a winning formula. All the remaining teams are deficient in different ways. Galway are a one-trick pony, without Joe Canning they are toothless. Cork are in decline and are missing someone like Seanie O'Leary or Joe Dean up front. The twin towers strategy was found wanting against Waterford. Tipp have all the skills but I feel they are short a few Tommy Walshes. Also they keep tinkering with their half forward line. Surely to God they can cobble together a decent unit from all the talent in the county. And, by the way, Seamus Callanan is not the answer. On current form Waterford are the closest to a match for Kilkenny but a lot of their senior players are on the wane and I'm not convinced the new guys will compensate - although I liked the cut of Shane O'Sullivan's gib. The only way Kilkenny are going to get beaten is if Tipp put together a half forward line and, more importantly, discover within themselves the kind of passion and physical commitment they encountered in Pairc ui Caoimh when Cork hammered them. An unlikely scenario.