Predicting who reaches the knock out stages of the SAHC this year is almost impossible

It wasn't that long ago that the Cork County SHC was far too lopsided, only a certain number of clubs in with a shout of being involved at the business end of the campaign and subsequently being on the podium on the final day.

Conversely, there was a fair few other clubs who were not making much of an impact from one year to the next and were unlikely to do so going forward, being brutally honest about it, they were out of their depth at that level.

Yes, there was that year of 2011 when rank outsiders Carrigtwohill pulled off an extraordinary feat by deservingly taking the famed trophy back to their home in East Cork.

It was truly a Sunday afternoon for the ages in the old ground, a bunch of players writing their names into the remarkable story of Cork senior club hurling.

Everything is much changed now, the senior hurling and football championships are split into two separate grades, Premier and Senior A and it has all worked out for the betterment of all clubs.

There are still a few clubs, alongside Imokilly, that are ahead of the rest in the Premier SHC but, as was illustrated last season, one of those clubs, St Finbarr's can fall by the wayside which they did after their loss to Fr O'Neill's.

The introduction of the Senior A championship, in hurling anyway, has provided a far more level playing field in both grades and that is what was required.

In last season's Senior A championship, Glen Rovers were, by far, the standout team and are back again where they rightly belong in the top flight.

They were the big fancy from the outset and they subsequently delivered.

Does a similar situation exist for the 2025 campaign, is there one team that one would be rushing into the bookies to place a few bob on them.

The answer to that poser is probably no with the majority of the 12 participants believing that they can be there or thereabouts at the end.

In a nutshell, one would have to believe that it's a much more open field with no clear favourite as the Glen were in 2024.

The recent draw for the group stage of the 2025 competition provided plenty of debate and though it's still far into the distance before it all begins in late July and early August we are going to try and the predict what might be the situation at the conclusion of that group stage.

Six clubs will again progress to the knockout stage and selecting the top two from each of the three groups is not easy.

Five of the 12 participants are East Cork based, no great surprise there given the ongoing strength of the game in that region.

All five would be in the category of leading contenders but there are others too, most notably Blarney who will be trying to make it third time lucky after losing the last two finals.

Can Bishopstown bounce back immediately after their relegation woes of last season and do a Glen on it and can Na Piarsaigh be reinvented enough to join the elite again.

Of course, and hopefully when the time comes around Watergrasshill will be All-Ireland premier intermediate champions and they should be a force to reckon with after their elevation to the higher grade.

Group A contains Killeagh, Carrigtwohill, Na Piarsaigh and Fermoy and that provides us with another in the long list of East Cork derbies in all the grades.

Na Piarsaigh lost out last season in one of great games of the year to Castlelyons and on that basis things might be stirring again in Farranree.

Fermoy are probably the outsiders in the group but nothing can ever be taken for granted in any of the groups.

Killeagh ran Blarney close in one of the quarter-finals last season and their young players will be a year older and a year wiser this time.

The clash of themselves and Na Piarsaigh will bring back memories of their game in Cobh two years ago when a last-gasp Killeagh goal secured the win.

Carrigtwohill have a new coach in the experienced Johnny Dwyer and he will bring a renewed freshness in their bid but they must be much better than last season when they had to survive a relegation decider against Cloyne.

Group B contains Castlelyons, Bishopstown, Ballyhea and Inniscarra and on paper anyway looks open enough.

Given the results from last season, Castlelyons look the big fancy to emerge but selecting one from the other three is going to be hugely difficult.

Ballyhea won just one game in their group last season and it was a similar story with Inniscarra and the 'Town were relegated from premier ranks.

The final group, group C looks to be the most interesting, the 'Hill, Blarney, Bride Rovers and Courceys.

The collision of Bride Rovers and the 'Hill is a local derby if there was ever one, the bragging rights will be of the utmost importance here, all the more so if the 'Hill will come in as All-Ireland champions.

Some might say Courcey Rovers are slight outsiders in this group but in any game the Ballinspittle club are never outsiders because no club is more resilient and their teak-tough mentality makes it difficult for any opposition and they were beaten finalists in 2022.

They defeated runners-up Blarney last season and that illustrated that they must never be underestimated and history has shown this.

Blarney, despite the huge disappointment of the past two seasons have to be one of the favourites again with the spine of Mark Coleman, Shane Barrett and Padraigh Power back-boning them again.

Bride Rovers are very similar to Courceys, always the toughest of nuts to crack despite losing heavily to Blarney in last season's semi-final.

There is always a fair aul step up from one grade to the next and the 'Hill must be able to cope with that.

They should be well able to do so and they will have had plenty of time to recover from the wonderful season of success that they have already had.

And with players of the calibre of Daire O'Leary, Sean Desmond, Kevin O'Neill and Adam Murphy around, there is a strong foundation.

This is a Senior A championship where nothing can be ruled in and nothing ruled out.

Again, as in all grades in 2025, it's far too very early to be predicting what might the outcome be and we'll have to get through the group stage first to see how the land lies.

SAHC Group predictions:

A: Na Piarsaigh, Killeagh. 

B: Castlelyons, Bishopstown

C: Blarney, Watergrasshill.