Premier Senior Hurling: John Horgan picks the six clubs to qualify from 2025 group stage

A LOT of water will pass under all the bridges before a ball is pucked in anger in next season's Cork County hurling championships.

And the fervent hope would be, that by the time of the big throw-in, Cork will have ended a 20-year famine in the All-Ireland SHC.

Over the festive period in many households and hosteleries throughout the city and county the question will be posed, who did ye get drawn with at the group stage of the various grades?

The GAA fields, for the most part, have fallen silent now but there will be always something to talk about and the draws last week for the five grades certainly threw up plenty of talking points which will subsequently be debated before the action resumes in late July and early August of 2025.

The introduction of the group stage has been a resounding success, nothing being taken for granted by any of the four participants in each group and as has been the case, only the top two in each will have their championship season extended.

The team that ends up in third place will be done and dusted for the year but underneath them in fourth place, a relegation battle could be on the cards, a fate that befell Bishopstown this year and the Glen the previous year.

The Glen's stay in the lower grade of Senior A was a very short one and now they are looking forward again to challenging strongly at the top table.

And what a group they will be involved in when they resume the voyage, alongside Munster club champions Sarsfields, very close neighbours Erin's Own and the surprise package of last season, Fr O'Neill's who eliminated the Barrs from the competition.

The term, 'group of death', is all too frequently used these days in all codes but in this case, it surely does apply.

It's very much a case of the Glen against East Cork in that group, three teams from that region against the men from Blackpool.

Much can transpire between now and the time the action will begin but Sarsfields would appear to be one of the two teams that will emerge into the last eight.

The Glen reinvented themselves superbly in the Senior A championship after their relegation from the top tier and were very focused from the outset.

The team will again be backboned by the bulk of that team but given the great success they have been having at Premier Minor level in the past few seasons, expect some of those younger guns to be exerting plenty of pressure on some of the establishment.

Erin's Own didn't make it out of their group but in all their games, particularly against Midleton, they gave a fine account of themselves.

One of the club's greatest servants, Shay Bowen will wear the manager's bib in 2025 and he will have a lot of personnel to choose from in the aftermath of the club's second string reaching the intermediate final this year.

That was a fine achievement in itself and it illustrated the depth of resources in the club. They will certainly relish the challenge of taking on their extremely close neighbours from Riverstown.

HIGHLIGHT

Fr O'Neill's achievement in taking down the Barrs in Midleton was a season highlight before they were eliminated by the all-conquering Imokilly unit in the last eight.

It won't be any easier next time but one thing is a certainty, nobody will underestimate this team again who will use that victory over the 'Barrs as an example of what can be achieved with the right approach.

Group 2, consisting of Midleton, Charleville, Newtownshandrum, and Newcestown looks the most open of the three groups.

Midleton will be the hot fancy to top this group and that won't brook any argument anywhere, all the more so with the talent coming through the ranks with their U21 squad.

Conor Lehane was one of the best forwards in last season's championship and his leadership qualities in the team will be required again.

The collision between Newtownshandrum and Charleville will be a real local derby in that part of the world with Buttevant looking like the ideal venue to host this game.

Charleville don't want to be in a relegation issue again but their survival qualities always have to be admired and in times past they had to look on as Newtown lorded it over everybody else. Now it's their opportunity to make their statement in a contest that will be eagerly awaited when the time arrives.

And then there's Newcestown, always renowned for their teak-tough approach and their willingness to make things very difficult for any opposition.

OUTSIDE

Group 3 is mostly a city affair with Kanturk the outsiders geographically.

The Rockies, Barrs and Douglas make up the four in that group and at first glance, the smart money would probably be on the Rockies and the Barrs to proceed to the quarter-final stage.

However, nothing is ever certain at the group stage of any competition and Kanturk will believe they can put a spanner in the works of the big two city teams.

They ended up with five points from six last season alongside Midleton en route to the quarte-finals and they'll believe that they can repeat that fine showing.

Which brings us to Douglas.

It's a mystery to many year-in, year-out why they are not impacting more on this championship, not being involved at the business end of the campaign at the very least.

That debate centres around the success of the club's underage teams in different grades in recent times and why it's not happening at a higher level.

The club's premier junior hurlers are back in the Seandun division next season and the senior team did not have a very distinguished campaign until they saw off Bishopstown in a game which was effectively a relegation battle.

Down the years some of the best club players in the county have been featuring on the team but quite a few of them are now advancing in age. Based on recent campaigns, they are outsiders in this group but, at the same time, they will not be underestimated by any of the other three.

And being involved in two southside derbies should provide them with plenty of motivation but they must be a lot better than they have been.

Overall, the playing field in this championship is a lot leveller than it once used to be although four or five teams are ahead of the rest.

It's probably being a bit ridiculous eight or nine months out before it all gets going again to be making predictions.

But here goes anyway... 

Group 1: Sarsfields, Glen Rovers. 

Group 2: Midleton, Newtownshandrum. 

Group 3: Blackrock, St Finbarr's.