John Horgan on why Limerick can maintain Munster dominance in All-Ireland final with Galway

The end is nigh, from the 11 counties who began this season's journey, we're closing in on All-Ireland hurling final day in Croke Park where there are just two remaining.

A Munster county has come out on top in the last eight finals and one has to go back to 2017 for the last Leinster winner, Galway defeating Waterford that year. Limerick began their remarkable sequence of success the following season, defeating Galway and Sunday's final is a repeat collision between the same two counties with the same two managers colliding again, John Kiely and Micheál Donoghue.

As there is every season, the final carries huge potential and, hopefully, we'll get just that.

The consensus thus far is that it has been an underwhelming campaign, not measuring up to the very high standard that was set in previous seasons.

The perception is that some of the games in the provincial series and thereafter did not ignite to the extent we had hoped.

There were some very lopsided games in both provinces and the failure of two of the perceived big three, Kilkenny and Tipperary, to extend their summer.

Cork did make it through to the All-Ireland series, walloping Offaly in the quarter-final and subsequently being walloped themselves by Galway.

Kildare's entry into the Leinster champions was noteworthy but, despite giving a decent account of themselves in some games, the belief has to be that there is a long road still to be travelled before they can come anywhere near being a force.

Offaly did travel a fair distance by emerging from the Leinster championship round-robin and into the All-Ireland series but the investment into the game up there must continue to try and ensure that others will make the breakthrough in the same way that the likes of Adam Screeney, Brian Duignan, Dan Burke among others have done.

If any sport needed more teams to be more competitive, hurling does.

But for now it's all about next Sunday, Galway, maybe surprise finalists in some quarters, taking on the perceived might of Limerick, the county that has been scooping up trophies in the national league, provincial and All-Ireland campaigns for quite some time, going back to 2018.

The county has already received a huge boost just a few weeks back when the All-Ireland minor title was regained for the first time in 42 years.

Let's be honest, Galway were really not in the conversation regarding the counties that would be involved on All-Ireland final Sunday.

But they are there on merit, ending a barren run without a Leinster title and the manner with which they dismantled Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final.

In the aftermath, there was far more talk about Cork's second-half collapse than there was about the Galway performance.

Team boss O'Donoghue and his management team have done an excellent job of combining experience alongside a much younger brigade and it has certainly worked the oracle thus far.

But Limerick in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day are the acid test for any of the other counties, they would have been too if Cork had not fallen down on the job in the semi-final.

Quite a number of the Limerick team that made the big breakthrough eight years ago are still the standard bearers on the current crop.

Ruthless

Kiely is very much his own man, just like Brian Cody was in the glory years on Noreside. He is not afraid to make the big calls, no messing about if a player, no matter his status, is below par. That was illustrated when he replaced Aaron Gillane in his last games.

It's happened to others too and often it's those quick decisions that make the difference.

It was said that in Cork's crushing loss to Galway and in one or two other games, the management didn't act quickly enough with their substitutions. But that's not here nor there now.

Galway's emergence again has been a breath of fresh air, young players have been brought forward to energise the team and in Jason Rabbitte's aerial ability, Aaron Niland and Cillian Trayers, the balance in the side has improved considerably.

Much will depend on Sunday on how the Galway half-forward line of Darragh Neary, Cathal Mannion and Tom Monaghan fare against the vastly experienced Limerick half-back sector of Diarmaid Byrnes, Will O'Donoghue and Kyle Hayes, the best half-back line in the country.

Galway too must try and counteract the impact that Gearoid Hegarty made in the semi-final victory over Clare.

Every team needs leaders like him and some pundits opined that Cork lacked that kind of leadership when things started to go wrong.

But this isn't about Cork now or any other county, it's about the two best teams in the country going head to head on the only day that really matters.

The landscape has certainly changed, in bygone day a final without Kilkenny, Cork or Tipperary would have merited a lot of debate but in sport everything changes and these days things rarely stay the same.

The one thing that does to a great extent is Kerry, similar to Limerick they always seem to find a way to get out of sticky situations when a real challenge is put to them as it was last Sunday against a rejuvenated Dublin.

Great teams have that inner belief, trusting themselves to do the business.

The hurling championship this season needs one of those blockbuster games that will endure in our conversations over the Winter months.

Limerick and Clare's semi-final collision was probably the best game of the championship up to now, hopefully Sunday will surpass that.

There is no doubt that the football championship has provided greater entertainment, more talking points, controversy too this season.

And those who might have poured scorn on the Tailteann Cup had red faces last Saturday after Wicklow's return from the grave against a much more heralded Down team. It was fascinating to watch them erase a 12-point disadvantage.

On Sunday, we had so much controversy over two goals, one scored by Kerry, one not given to Dublin.

Hawk-Eye has been a resounding success with hurling but it's imperative now that the goal-line technology across the water in the Premiership is introduced into the GAA. If a ball going over the crossbar or not can be sorted then surely the same must apply with the big ball.

Ultra-reliable

Anyway, who will have the Liam MacCarthy Cup in their possession on Sunday evening?

All the smart money will be on Limerick to collect their sixth title in eight years. That is an incredible achievement.

Limerick have wanted this one since the season began, an all out effort to sign off on being the best team that has ever graced the big house on Jones Road.

This could be a last dance for some of their greatest players, maybe John Kiely too, a manager now right up there alongside Brian Cody.

Galway have the confidence now to really test them but Limerick have the know-how to prevail again.

Verdict: Limerick.