FALL TO PLAY FOR..

Previous big hitters in real danger of the drop as hurling and football leagues reach pivotal point of the campaign

- BY GARRY DOYLE

FOUR All-Ireland champs from the last five years are staring at relegation battles as the National Hurling and Football Leagues enter their final stretch.

That's the reality heading into the last fortnight of the leagues big names suddenly dealing with the uncomfortable possibility of going down.

Dublin, the 2023 football champions.

Armagh, the team that replaced them as All-Ireland winners.

Kilkenny, the aristocrats of hurling.

Tipperary, the reigning All-Ireland champions.

And Tyrone, the 2021 football winners.

All of them have something serious at stake over the next two weeks - five heavyweights in danger of a serious fall.

HURLING

Division 1A

THE top two qualify for the final and, as things stand, that looks like being Limerick and Cork.

Galway are still mathematically alive though, while Tipperary occupy a strange middle ground where they could theoretically reach the league final - or be relegated.

Neither outcome is especially likely but it tells you how tight things are.

Cork control their own fate. Beat Offaly in their final game and they will reach the decider.

Limerick should join them if they defeat Galway in their last match.

But if Galway beat Limerick and Tipperary win their remaining games against Waterford and Kilkenny, then three teams - Tipp, Limerick and Galway - would finish level on eight points.

That's when score difference comes into play. In that scenario Galway would likely need a win of around three points against Limerick to move into the final as Tipp's points differential is poor.