Full National Hurling League power rankings for Division 1A and 1B after Round 3, plus in-depth Round 4 match previews, key players, form analysis, and score predictions.
Three rounds into the Allianz National Hurling League and you can already see the shape of the spring. Some teams are stacking points without fully clicking, others are hurling well but bleeding momentum in key five-minute spells, and a few are already staring down the hard maths of relegation.
What follows is a full, data-driven set of power rankings for Division 1A and Division 1B, in ascending order (bottom to top), built strictly from the rounds and match information on the table so far. Then we go game-by-game through Round 4, with venue, context, key performers from the first three rounds, tactical match-ups, and a predicted winner and scoreline for each tie.
Division 1A, Power Rankings (7 to 1)
7) Offaly
Table position: 7th
Played: 3
Record: 0-0-3
PF/PA: 54 for, 81 against
Points difference: -27
Offaly’s league so far has been a mixture of genuine graft and harsh lessons. They opened with a tight enough loss away to Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, 0-20 to 0-16, in a game where conditions dictated a lot, and where Adam Screeney did the bulk of the heavy lifting on the scoring, 0-9 with 0-6 frees. That type of return keeps you competitive, but the bigger issue is what happens when you can’t force the opposition into long spells of wides.
Round 2 was where the numbers turned ugly: Tipperary 5-24 to Offaly 1-19. Offaly weren’t miles away early, but once Tipp hit their second-half burst, Offaly were chasing shadows. Tipp only finished with four wides in the full game, which tells you how clean the execution was. Offaly’s back line was put under savage pressure in transition, and the gulf widened every time Tipp ran at them through the middle third.
Round 3 away to Waterford was closer on paper, Waterford 1-19 Offaly 0-16, but again Offaly came out the wrong side of the key moments. Screeney hit 0-10 (0-8f), so they had scoreboard momentum, and there were two first-half goal looks that didn’t become green flags. Waterford were wasteful too, but they got the only goal that mattered, Reuben Halloran finishing with 1-12, and once Waterford broke the line for that 54th minute goal, Offaly were chasing a game they couldn’t catch.
Bottom line: Offaly are competitive in stretches, but three rounds in, they’re conceding too much and not getting enough goal return for the chances they do create.
Relegation reality: they’re currently in the bottom two in 1A.
6) Galway
Table position: 6th
Played: 2
Record: 0-0-2
PF/PA: 43 for, 50 against
Points difference: -7
Galway’s totals tell a story that’s not all doom, but it’s not good either. They’ve scored 43 across two games, but conceded 50, and they’re still waiting for the first points on the board.
Round 1 in Thurles was a grim one because Galway will feel they left it behind them. Tipp won 1-21 to 1-16, and the game was level 11 times. Galway had opportunities but paid in waste, they logged 14 wides, which is the type of figure that can sink you even when you’re creating plenty. On the Tipp side, the big drivers were Jake Morris 0-8 (five from play) and the late killer moment, Darragh Stakelum’s 64th-minute goal.
Round 2 in Salthill was another narrow heartbreak, Galway 1-21, Cork 2-20. Galway started fast and were 1-7 to 0-3 ahead after the first quarter. Cathal Mannion produced 0-10 (0-8 frees) and Galway had plenty of evidence that their new shape can hurt teams. But Cork’s second-half swing, plus the bench impact, flipped it. The big event was Brian Hayes off the bench with 2-0, and Cork’s half-forward line output was huge. Galway ended with the last five points, but it wasn’t enough.
Bottom line: Galway are playing enough hurling to win matches, but the finishing waste and concession profile are dragging them under.
Relegation reality: they’re currently in the relegation zone.
5) Kilkenny
Table position: 5th
Played: 2
Record: 1-0-1
PF/PA: 42 for, 45 against
Points difference: -3
Kilkenny’s two games have been the definition of league building, a grind and a lesson.
Round 1 was a functional win: Kilkenny 0-20 Offaly 0-16. Eoin Cody ran the scoreboard with 0-10 (0-7f, 0-1 65). It wasn’t pretty, but points in January are points.
Round 3 away to Limerick, Limerick 1-26 Kilkenny 2-16, was a game where Kilkenny had bright spells but left too much behind them early. Cody finished 1-6, Martin Keoghan 1-0, and they did get their second goal through Cody late, but the decisive moment was Limerick’s 57th-minute goal from Aaron Gillane, and that’s the type of punch Kilkenny didn’t match at the key moment.
Bottom line: Kilkenny have scoring power through Cody, but they’re still finding the clean, relentless rhythm that defines them when they’re at their best.
4) Limerick
Table position: 4th
Played: 2
Record: 1-0-1
PF/PA: 49 for, 46 against
Points difference: +3
Limerick’s league has been two very different chapters.
Round 2 in Walsh Park they lost to Waterford, Waterford 1-21 Limerick 0-20. Waterford’s intensity was the headline, with Shane Bennett’s penalty goal after a black card incident, and Waterford squeezed it late with frees, including Billy Nolan’s late score. Limerick had enough possession, but they didn’t own the momentum when Waterford made their run.
Round 3 against Kilkenny was scrappy but important: Limerick 1-26 Kilkenny 2-16. The big positives were the spine and the scorers.
- Aidan O’Connor 0-10 (0-7f), with three from play, is a serious return
- Peter Casey 0-5 gave them weight and clean execution
- Aaron Gillane 1-2, with the decisive goal, is exactly what changes Limerick from decent to dangerous
Bottom line: Limerick have stabilised. The question now is whether they can do it away from home against elite pace and pressure.
3) Waterford
Table position: 3rd
Played: 3
Record: 2-0-1
PF/PA: 66 for, 70 against
Points difference: -4
Waterford are winning matches, but the profile is not clean, and that’s why they sit third in the power ranking even with the same points total as Tipp.
Round 1, they were hammered in Cork: Cork 3-25 Waterford 1-17. Waterford’s scoring leaned heavily on Reuben Halloran 0-13 (0-8f, 0-2 65), and they never got a foothold once Cork found rhythm early.
Round 2, they flipped the script at home: Waterford 1-21 Limerick 0-20. The defining moments were Waterford’s attitude and the penalty goal. Halloran carried the placed-ball load again, and the home crowd got the payoff.
Round 3 was another home win, 1-19 to 0-16 over Offaly, but it came with concerns. Waterford scored just 1-7 from play, hit 12 wides, and were only two points up after 44 minutes. The difference was again the standout.
- Reuben Halloran 1-12 (0-9f, 0-3 65)
- The goal in the 54th minute, Halloran rifling across goal, broke Offaly
Bottom line: Waterford have two home wins banked and a top-tier free-taker in form. But the from-play efficiency needs to rise quickly, because the next tier of opposition will punish the waste.
2) Tipperary
Table position: 2nd
Played: 3
Record: 2-0-1
PF/PA: 85 for, 70 against
Points difference: +15
Tipperary’s three games contain two strong statements and one sharp reminder.
Round 1: Tipperary 1-21 Galway 1-16, in Thurles, a rain-soaked scrap. Tipp got huge value from their leadership and late clarity. Jake Morris 0-8 and the late goal created by Morris and finished by Darragh Stakelum put the game away.
Round 2: the blitz. Tipperary 5-24 Offaly 1-19. The numbers are savage: Tipp pulled away with a second-half run that turned a contest into a rout. The standout is unavoidable:
- Jason Forde 3-10, including a penalty and a hat-trick goal late
You also had the platform work from the back, with Bryan O’Mara highlighted as a major influence at full-back, and Tipp’s overall efficiency, minimal wides.
Round 3: the reality check. Cork 0-29 Tipperary 0-22. Cork were sharper, Tipp didn’t get a goal, and the match had the flashpoint incident before half-time with red cards shown to Shane Barrett and Jason Forde. Tipp had spread scorers, but Cork had more standout performers and controlled the rhythm for longer stretches.
Bottom line: Tipp’s ceiling is league-winning. But they’ve now been shown that elite opponents can manage them if they keep them out of the net and win the half-forward battle.
1) Cork
Table position: 1st
Played: 3
Record: 3-0-0
PF/PA: 89 for, 66 against
Points difference: +23
Cork are top on the table and top on form. They’ve scored 89 in three games and are winning in different ways.
Round 1 was a demolition: Cork 3-25 Waterford 1-17, in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The attack was varied and ruthless early, and the spread of scorers was strong, with inside returns and half-forward influence.
Round 2 was the more valuable win because it was away: Galway 1-21 Cork 2-20. Cork recovered from a poor start, and crucially got the bench impact.
- Brian Hayes 2-0 swung it
- Shane Barrett 0-6, Séamus Harnedy 0-4, and the half-forward output gave Cork the backbone
Round 3 versus Tipp was the league’s most watched fixture so far and Cork delivered: 0-29 to 0-22.
Key outputs:
- Alan Connolly 0-8 (0-4f)
- Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-7 (0-1f)
- Declan Healy 0-3
- William Buckley 0-3
Cork did it without goals, and that matters.
Bottom line: Cork are efficient, deep, and consistent. They’re setting the bar.
Division 1B, Power Rankings (7 to 1)
7) Down
Table position: 7th
Played: 3
Record: 0-0-3
PF/PA: 54 for, 95 against
Points difference: -41
Down have taken a hard schooling at this level. They battled Wexford to parity in Round 2 before being edged late, but Round 3 in Ennis was a serious hammering: Clare 3-35 Down 0-15. The gap was clear.
Down’s key scorer remains Pearse Óg McCrickard, who hit 0-7 (0-3f) in Ennis, but they need more scorers and more control of opposition runs, because they’re conceding over 30 points a game.
6) Antrim
Table position: 6th
Played: 3
Record: 0-0-3
PF/PA: 57 for, 82 against
Points difference: -25
Antrim’s first three games contain a big warning. They’ve been competitive in spells, but the concession totals are brutal. Round 3 in Newbridge is the one that will hurt most: Kildare 3-21 Antrim 0-20. From half-time to 53 minutes, Kildare blew it open, and Antrim had no answer to the physicality and middle-third dominance.
Seaan Elliot has been their scoreboard anchor, hitting 0-11 (0-9f, 0-1 65) in Round 3, but it’s too much reliance on one man’s frees.
5) Kildare
Table position: 5th
Played: 2
Record: 1-0-1
PF/PA: 40 for, 45 against
Points difference: -5
Kildare already look like a side who can swing from blunt to explosive depending on confidence. They were shut down by Dublin in Round 2, Dublin 2-19 Kildare 0-10, with Kildare managing only two points from play in the whole game, which is the type of stat that kills you at this level.
But Round 3 was the response: Kildare 3-21 Antrim 0-20. The headline scorers:
- Muiris Curtin 2-2, all from play
- Jack Sheridan 0-9 (0-6f)
- James Dolan 1-0 as a sub
They ran riot in the second half, and the physical edge was clear.
4) Carlow
Table position: 4th
Played: 2
Record: 1-0-1
PF/PA: 48 for, 48 against
Points difference: 0
Carlow are more dangerous than their table position suggests, because they carry elite free efficiency and they’ve shown they can stay in the fight against strong opposition.
Round 3 away to Wexford ended Wexford 2-28 Carlow 1-21, and the most important detail is Carlow were right there until the final stretch. Martin Kavanagh hit 0-14 (0-13f), which is an outrageous return at this level, and they got a goal from Fiachra Fitzpatrick. They were beaten by Wexford’s finish, and by a late penalty goal in particular, but Carlow’s backbone is real.
3) Dublin
Table position: 3rd
Played: 2
Record: 1-0-1
PF/PA: 50 for, 37 against
Points difference: +13
Dublin’s data profile is strong because they’re defending well and they can score goals. Round 2 versus Kildare was emphatic: 2-19 to 0-10. That’s how you separate yourself from the middle pack.
They lost to Clare in Round 1, but it took a late Tony Kelly goal for Clare to shake them. Dublin are a serious test for anyone chasing promotion.
2) Wexford
Table position: 2nd
Played: 3
Record: 3-0-0
PF/PA: 77 for, 64 against
Points difference: +13
Wexford are perfect on points, and their Round 3 win over Carlow shows a huge piece of their identity, they can win messy matches and still put a scoreboard gap on you late.
Key names and outputs from Round 3:
- Simon Roche 0-14 (0-10f), massive
- Tomás Kinsella 0-6, crucial from play
- Mark Fanning, keeper, penalty goal late
- Lee Chin introduced at 48 minutes and the game tilted
Wexford’s challenge now is that Dublin and Clare level opponents won’t allow you to live off frees and late surges.
1) Clare
Table position: 1st
Played: 3
Record: 3-0-0
PF/PA: 110 for, 65 against
Points difference: +45
Clare are the best side in 1B and one of the best sides in the league overall by output. Round 3 was a wipeout: Clare 3-35 Down 0-15. The spread of scorers and the development of depth is what makes it scary.
Round 3 key scorers:
- Mark Rodgers 1-9 (0-6f)
- Senan Dunford 0-5
- David Fitzgerald 1-0
- Peter Duggan 1-1
Plus a stack of contributors on 0-3 and 0-2.
Bottom line: Clare look like a team playing down a division, and they’re doing it while building depth.
Round 4, Fixtures, Context, and Predictions
Division 1A
Tipperary v Limerick, Semple Stadium
This is the Round 4 headline fixture in 1A. Tipp have the best single-game attacking performance of the league so far, the 5-24 against Offaly, but they’ve also been held to points only in Cork, and lost their marquee forward Jason Forde to a red card incident in Round 3.Its Live on RTE, this Saturday Evening, throw in 5:30.
Limerick come in off the Kilkenny win with a clearer attacking shape. Their spine is humming: Aidan O’Connor 0-10, Peter Casey 0-5, and Gillane back with the decisive goal. Thurles is never a friendly trip, and Tipp’s ability to attack from multiple lines, Morris, Connors, Ormond involvement, can stress Limerick’s set-up.
Prediction: Tipperary by 2, finally.
Predicted score: Tipperary 1-22 Limerick 1-20
Kilkenny v Waterford, Nowlan Park
Waterford’s free-taking is elite through Halloran, but their from-play efficiency in Round 3 was a red flag. Kilkenny will try to force Waterford into long periods of low-percentage shooting and will back themselves at home to squeeze Waterford’s supply.
The key matchup is Waterford’s runners, Jamie Barron and Calum Lyons, against Kilkenny’s ability to turn the middle third into a trench. If Waterford can score more than 1-7 from play, they can win anywhere. If they can’t, Kilkenny will edge it.
Prediction: Kilkenny by 1
Predicted score: Kilkenny 1-20 Waterford 1-19
Offaly v Galway, Birr
A relegation six-pointer already, because the table has them 6th and 7th on zero points. Offaly have played three and lost three, Galway have played two and lost two. Galway’s biggest issue has been conversion, and Offaly’s has been conceding runs and not getting enough from play.
Offaly need Screeney to keep the frees coming, but they also need one of those goal chances to land. Galway need to cut out the wides, because their Round 1 total of 14 wides was the difference.
Prediction: Galway by 7
Predicted score: Offaly 1-18 Galway 1-25
Division 1B
Dublin v Wexford, Parnell Park
This is a genuine promotion marker. Wexford are 3-0, Dublin are 1-1, but Dublin have the best defensive totals outside Clare, 37 conceded in two games, and they’ve already shown they can blow out a game with goals, 2-19 to 0-10 versus Kildare.
Wexford’s keys are obvious: Simon Roche’s frees, Kinsella’s from-play output, and how quickly Lee Chin influences the game if introduced again. Dublin will try to keep this tight and force Wexford into shooting from difficult angles rather than feeding Kinsella and Roche in scoring zones.
Prediction: Draw looks live, but Dublin at home shade it
Predicted score: Dublin 1-21 Wexford 1-21
Kildare v Clare, Newbridge
Kildare will bring savage intensity at home, and their second-half blitz versus Antrim proves they can score goals at this level. But Clare are operating with a different power level. They are averaging over 36 points a game in 1B and they’re doing it with a massive scoring spread.
Kildare’s best chance is to make this ugly, bring physicality, and keep Clare’s total down. The danger is Clare can still hit 30 in an ugly game, because Rodgers will punish any indiscipline, and the likes of Dunford, Duggan, Fitzgerald will score from play.
Prediction: Clare by 11
Predicted score: Kildare 1-19 Clare 3-24
Antrim v Carlow, Dunloy
Antrim’s season is at a crossroads. Three straight defeats, and the Round 3 collapse in Newbridge will sting. They have scores in them through Seaan Elliot, but they can’t afford to concede goals again.
Carlow are dangerous because Martin Kavanagh can post huge totals from frees, he hit 0-14 against Wexford. If Antrim gift frees, Carlow will keep the scoreboard ticking without needing long spells of dominance. Carlow also have shown goal threat through Fiachra Fitzpatrick.
Prediction: Carlow by 2
Predicted score: Antrim 0-20 Carlow 0-22