3. Kilkenny
You can’t ignore the draw. Most analysts would currently rank Dublin and Laois in the bottom two positions in the Liam MacCarthy Cup order of merit, and it is the winner of their clash that will meet Kilkenny in a Leinster semi-final.
As such, Brian Cody has been given the most favourable route. They will be odds-on to make a Leinster final which, win or lose, means they are in pole position to make it deep into the All-Ireland series too.
They may not be as star-studded as in the past but they still have TJ Reid, while their Ballyhale Shamrocks contingent have had a much longer rest in 2020 than in other years.
Cody’s big task is to find the best arrangement of his assets and unearth a couple of reliable scorers, because the work-rate is rarely found wanting.
