LISTEN: Limerick are in a place where they are shaping the game of hurling

Three games played and three games won. The first game against Wexford they got rid of the cobwebs.

But watching spells in the second half against Tipperary and down in Nowlan Park against Kilkenny, serious credit has to go to Joe O’Connor and Paul Kinnerk.

Kinnerk is in a different sphere in and around his imagination and in what he is trying to do and implement.

Limerick are extremely lucky to have the two of them. They are at the very top of their game.

These guys are together three years and are implementing new things all the time. There is serious power and there is serious strength.

Kilkenny are renowned for coming out of rucks but last week it was a Limerick man that was coming out with it.

In the last three games, I haven’t seen any team that can touch Limerick at the moment.

When you get to a league quarter final, you get the smell of a medal and I think that has to be the goal.

One of the highlights against Kilkenny was when Tommy Walsh made a superb catch and sallied out on the diagonal and Barry Murphy tracked him all the way and then dispossessed him, and then threw it over the bar.

At the end of the day, you’re at nothing if your work rate isn’t going to be through the roof.

Shane Dowling was the same. It was his first game of the year and they were right to leave him on for the full game.

It will be good for his fitness also. Would he have been on as much ball as Tom Morrissey?

No, but he was on a lot of it. He worked his socks off. Young Boylan, yet again, was outstanding.

The likes of Boylan and Robbie Hanley, when you have fellas able to slot in and do a job, that is going to create ferocious training.

They have three players for every position. They are in a place where they are shaping the whole game of hurling.

Looking at the Cork and Clare game. Both started off kind of funnily in the league and I genuinely put that down to the safety net of no relegation from Division 1A.

Ultimately, they are just going out looking for new players. Cork are going to utilise the league with the hope of finding three or four players. Clare are the same.

I think Cork coming to the Gaelic Grounds this Sunday is going to Limerick’s toughest test of their defence.

There is no secret to the type of game that Cork play. It’s no secret how good their forwards are. It’s a game that I am very much looking forward to.

Cork have done a nice bit of experimenting up until this point and I think this will be the first game that they are looking at very seriously.

They believe and trust in their own skill and traditionally think they are a notch or two above everybody else.

I can’t see them doing a whole pile to upset Limerick and they will let Limerick hurl.

Listen to the full podcast with Limerick hurling legend Ciarán Carey below.