RTÉ Sport has asked the people who know what they think will happen on and off the hurling fields this summer.
Brendan Bugler (All-Ireland winner with Clare)
- All-Ireland champions: It could be one of six but my pick is Galway. It's a big year for this Galway team. Players like Johnny Glynn and Joseph Cooney are back after missing the league. Joe Canning is due back for the third Leinster championship game. They have players with great experience. They might struggle in relation to having a strong panel but they will always have a serious starting 15.
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Limerick, Kilkenny, Galway and Cork
- Player of the Year: Cathal Mannion (Galway)
- Young Player of the Year: Rory O'Connor (Wexford)
- Talking point: Is there anyone that can stop Limerick? Currently they have the best panel and system of play.
- Surprise packages: Dublin. Defensively they are a very tight unit, they have an exceptional full-back in Eoghan O’Donnell, if they can unearth another forward or two, they could spring a surprise and get out of Leinster.
Brian Carroll (Former Offaly Hurler)
- All-Ireland champions: Clare. They were within a puck of a ball in reaching the All-Ireland last year and would have relished playing Limerick in the decider. They are very strong physically down the centre and can go direct with John Conlan on the edge of the square and Peter Duggan providing puck out options. They are a very experienced team and in Tony Kelly they have a proven match winner. The return of Shane O’Donnell and the emergence of Diarmuid Ryan and Shane Golden means they have serious strength in depth, which is needed to win an All-Ireland, particularly with this new format.
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Clare, Limerick, Galway and Tipperary
- Player of the Year: Tony Kelly (Clare)
- Young Hurler of the Year: Jake Morris (Tipperary)
- Talking Point: Who will be the bottom two teams in Munster? All five teams in Munster have realistic All-Ireland ambitions, yet two of the big guns will be finished hurling in June. How long will the Munster counties agree to this before they want change? They already have preserved the status of the Munster championship by not allowing Kerry a direct route to the Munster championship if they win the Joe McDonagh Cup.
- Surprise packages: Dublin. They have a very astute manager in Mattie Kenny who knows the Dublin scene well. The team has been maturing for the last couple of seasons and with the Cuala contingent available all season they look ready to really challenge in Leinster. Very strong physically and have talent in abundance all over the field.
Shane McGrath (All-Ireland winner with Tipperary)
- All-Ireland champions: Limerick. They have the strongest panel, they have serious cover for each line and will have taken huge Confidence from finally getting over the line last year so that pressure is gone now.
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick, Galway.
- Player of the Year: Diarmuid Byrnes (Limerick)
- Young Player of the Year: Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
- Talking point: In the modern game will we see a team do back to back again? There are so many games - and less rest in between - who can handle this the best and who has the best panel to do this?
- Surprise packages: Dublin. They will turn over a big team at home in Leinster Championship. They are hurling with confidence and a style of play that suits their players.
Aislinn Connolly (Two-time All Star winner and former Galway Camogie player)
- All-Ireland champions: Limerick. Going on league form and depth of panel they look even better than last year. They look like they are kicking on and they are a level-headed hungry young bunch of lads who I don't think will be put off by the hype of back to back.
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Limerick, Galway, Clare, Waterford
- Player of the Year:. Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
- Young Player of the Year: Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
- Talking point: The impact of Waterford playing in Walsh Park for first time in years especially when home games so important in the new format.
- Surprise Package: Dublin. They lost three games last year by a point. Their defensive unit is very good, led by the powerful Eoghan O'Donnell but they need to improve fire power for sure as they need to be doing more upfront. If they were able to do that it would bring them on to the next level.
Jackie Tyrell (Nine-time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny)
- All-Ireland champions: Clare. They weren’t too far away last year, and have a huge hunger to go one step further, it’s now or never for this group!
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Tipperary, Clare, Galway, Limerick
- Player of the Year: Shane O Donnell (Clare)
- Young Player of the Year: Jake Morris (Tipperary)
- Talking point: What impact will playing in Walsh Park have on Waterford’s progression in the championship.
- Surprise packages: Dublin, their impressive League form suggests they could well be a real threat in Leinster. Mattie Kenny is a shrewd operator and has built on Pat Gilroy's good work from last year. He got the best out of Cuala and they're tactically fluid, and in Eoghan O'Donnell they have a defender who can mark any forward in the country. They weren’t very far away last year from making the top three in Leinster.
Ryan O'Dwyer (Leinster title winner with Dublin)
- All-Ireland champions: Limerick. At this stage I would have to say Limerick. They are the obvious choice because of their form but Munster is a brutal affair and if they can come out of that with a healthy team they would be my favourite to win.
- All-Ireland semi-finalists: Limerick, Tipperary, Dublin and Galway
- Player of the Year: Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
- Young Player of the Year: Paddy Smyth (Dublin)
- Talking point: Refereeing decisions. Usually there are a couple every championship like sending offs and catching a ball over the goal line. There should be a good bit of giving out done anyway.
- Surprise packages: Laois will win the Joe McDonagh Cup and possibly win the qualifier game to progress to the All-Ireland quarter final.
Follow all the hurling action this weekend via our live blogs on RTÉ.ie/sport and the News Now app, listen to live national commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 and watch live and exclusive TV coverage of the Munster SHC on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player this Sunday.
