All still to play in the football league’s game of snakes and ladders

By the time the 2018 Allianz Football League 6th round rolled around, the top spots had gone to Dublin and Galway while Kildare had been relegated.
In 2019, around the same time, Kerry was confirmed as a Division 1 finalist; Sligo had plunged from Division 3, while Derry and Leitrim were moving in the other direction.
After five rounds in In 2020, Meath’s brief stint in Division 1 came to an end with two games remaining and Cork briefly left Division 3.
Last year was different, the tournaments were divided into regional groups and played only 3 rounds of regulation.
But the point here is that as is customary, at least some promotion/relegation issues will be decided by the sixth round, when the competition resumes this weekend.
As such, no team is guaranteed promotion or, in the case of Division 1, a final place, and no team will progress to the final round without hope for safety. By that metric, at least, this is the tightest league in years.
Things were a lot clearer in the hurdles tournament ahead of its final round, with only second place in 1B and – at least in theory – the man who joins Antrim in the relegation playoffs will be decide on the top leagues this weekend.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PARTS 1
Top: Kerry; With nine points, the only undefeated record in the top flight, the best scoring record and the lowest percentage of concessions, they most likely still need a win in their remaining games against Armagh and Tyrone.
Mayo, with an easier run in (Tyrone and Kildare) than the other seven points, Armagh (Kerry and Donegal), should also make a decision.
Bottom: Dublin (two points), Kildare, Tyrone (three), Monaghan (four) and Donegal (five) could still be relegated. Aside from Dublin’s remaining games against Donegal and Monaghan, the game with the biggest relegation consequences is in Newbridge on Sunday, where Kildare meets Monaghan.
All-Ireland Champion Tyrone has a run from hell; Mayo at home, then on to Killarney.
Round 6: Tyrone v Mayo; Armagh v Kerry; Kildare v Monaghan; Dublin v Donegal.
Round 7: Monaghan v Dublin; Donegal v Armagh; Kerry v Tyrone; Mayo v Kildare.
Guess: Kerry and Mayo in the end; Tyrone and Kildare were relegated.
BLOCK 2
Top: The promotion picture has crystallized into a two-to-three scenario involving Galway, Derry and Roscommon – three of the four teams yet to lose across all divisions. Galway was one point ahead of Derry and two points ahead of Roscommon but went through both.
Bottom: Cork, Down (both one point) and Offaly (three points) are the main contenders, with anyone losing between Clare and Meath in Ennis technically still at risk. Cork have both the worst concession rate (100 accum) and the worst point difference (-31) but still have safety in their hands if they can beat Down and then Offaly.
Round 6: Cork v Down; Derry v Galway; Offaly v Roscommon; Clare v Meath.
Round 7: Down v Clare; Roscommon v Galway; Offaly v Cork; Meath v Derry.
Prediction: Derry and Galway get promoted; Down and Offaly relegated.
BLOCK 3
Top: It is the most congested division by far, with just two points separating Antrim, Louth (seven), Westmeath, Limerick (all six), Fermanagh and Laois (five).
A promotion will likely go to the winners from Sunday’s Louth/Antrim game in Ardee’s Pairc Mhuire, with both Limerick (Laois home) and Westmeath (Fermanagh) both in need of a win.
Bottom: Longford could be relegated to Wicklow if they win on Sunday, a result that could drag one or both Fermanagh and Laois back to the final day’s existential debris.
Round 6: Laois v Limerick; Westmeath v Fermanagh; Longford v Wicklow; Louth v Antrim.
Round 7: Antrim v Westmeath; Limerick v Fermanagh; Laois v Longford; Wicklow v Louth
Guess: Antrim and Limerick promoted; Wicklow and Fermanagh are relegated.
BLOCK 4
Top: Cavan’s stumble at the weekend is only a temporary setback to promotion with home games against London and away against the upcoming basement side Waterford.
With two home games left and one point ahead of Sligo, Leitrim and London, Tipperary was given a late break for the fourth tier of freedom.
Bottom: Waterford looks solid with the unofficial wooden spoon of the tournament.
Round 6: London v Cavan; Waterford v Sligo; Leitrim v Wexford; Tipperary v Carlow. Round 7: Tipperary v London; Sligo v Leitrim; Carlow v Westmeath; Cavan and Waterford.
Guess: Cavan and Tipperary get promoted.
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE
BLOCK 1 GROUP A
Top: All finished and dusted here. Wexford and Cork, which meet on Sunday at Chadwicks Wexford Park, failed to make it to the top of this tournament and have made it through to the semi-finals of this year’s tournament.
Bottom: Offaly must win Limerick or face a relegation playoff against Antrim.
Round 5: Limerick v Offaly; Galway v Clare; Wexford v Cork.
PARTS 1 COPORATION, GROUP REMOVE
Top: Waterford has effectively advanced to the semi-finals. Dublin could join them if they beat Laois (in O’Moore Park, Portlaois) and Kilkenny lose at Walsh Park on Sunday.
Otherwise, Kilkenny will pass unless a unlikely scenario sees them lose to Waterford; The Dublin draw and Tipperary beat Antrim – in which case Kilkenny, Tipp and Dublin would finish with six points and the point difference would be used to decide second place.
Bottom: Antrim are bottom of the table after their four losses so far and will face Offaly or All-Ireland champions Limerick for survival.
Round 5: Tipperary v Antrim; Kilkenny v Waterford; Laois vs Dublin.
BLOCK 2 COPORATION, GROUP ONE
Top: A draw would benefit both Down and Kerry this Saturday at Ballycran with both taking six points. If Down wins that match, Westmeath will enter the final if they win at Newbridge based on the results of their head-to-head with Kerry.
Bottom: Meath will fail unless they defeat Carlow, who has three points, along with Kildare.
Round 5: Down v Kerry; Meath v Carlow; Kildare v Westmeath.
BLOCK 2 COPORATION, GROUP REMOVE
Top: Derry in the final, most likely meeting Donegal.
Bottom: Wicklow and Mayo have been assigned to the relegation deciders.
Round 5: Derry v London; Wicklow v Sligo; Mayo v Donegal.
BLOCK 3 COPORATION, GROUP ONE
Top: Tyrone and Roscommon (both 7 points) will contest a promotion to Division 2B.
Bottom: Warwickshire and Louth both have a point from the draw with each other. If both lose this weekend, Warwickshire will go down due to a worse goal difference.
Round 5: Warwickshire v Armagh; Roscommon v Monaghan; Tyrone v Louth.
BLOCK 3 COPORATION, GROUP REMOVE
Top: Leitrim (four points) will most likely need a win at Fermanagh (six) to finish against Longford (four) to reach the final.
Bottom: Cavan will be bottom of the table regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s games because even if they beat Longford on Saturday at Kingspan Breffni, their defeat to Lancashire will set them head-to-head.
Round 5: Cavan v Longford; Leitrim v Fermanagh.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/all-still-to-play-for-in-football-leagues-game-of-snakes-and-ladders-41447223.html All still to play in the football league’s game of snakes and ladders