Emmet Moloney writes for the 'Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

Emmet Moloney looks into his crystal ball to see what 2009 has in store for us – both on and off the field.

Kilkenny won’t win the All-Ireland

C’mon, there is no such thing as a certainty. Let’s keep talking like all the Cats have to do is turn up next year to win it and see what happens. Of course they are favourites but this team, like every GAA team ever picked, is beatable. Someday. Next summer they will have at least one competitive game in Leinster and, let’s not forget, Tipperary are showing strong signs of revival. They will be in the mix. Galway and Waterford can also make solid cases for inclusion in our thoughts. Henry, JJ, Eddie Brennan and one or two more will be a year older. That will count for something because time catches up with every player eventually. Sometimes it happens to great teams all at once. Worthy favourites for sure, but try telling Liam Sheedy or John McIntyre that 2009 is already conceded to Brian Cody. Those boys aren’t Gerald McCarthy, the Cats will have to earn it.

Justin beats Davy in June

It’s the game we’re all looking forward to. The old dog for the hard road against the young gun, who now just happens to be the boss of the old dog’s brigade. Limerick will have the first-year bounce that Justin always seems to bring to teams, while Davy has the All-Ireland hangover to deal with. Fair play to the GAA – this is the plum draw hurling needed. The Déise will be on a high with a team in an All-Ireland Club Final as well as last year’s breakthrough/implosion to gather reserves from. In the other corner will be Justin. He’ll be too cute for his old team. He’ll know the tricks and with a bunch of underachieving players he will work some magic. Limerick will beat Waterford but that will be it in year one for Justin. I strongly suspect that Davy Fitz’s talents are best in short-term situations with bursts of activity. Last summer and his LIT excursions seem perfect for this time frame.

Gerald McCarthy won’t coach Cork in the championship

Yes, the dispute that dare not speak its name. But a county like Cork simply won’t allow a Cork B team to enter the 2009 All-Ireland hurling championship. It can’t happen. If, and it’s a big if, Cork field the youngsters in the league their performances will undo that cause in two or three weeks. There is talk of a few players returning to the fold, but without the big guns the Rebels are going nowhere. That lot are just too proud not to sort something out. Frank will announce he is stepping down at 65, one or two of the marquee names will retire (for one year) and Gerald, for the good of Cork hurling, will take the honourable course. It’s the only way out for everyone.

Football managers will scupper the experimental rules

Yes, we’ve been here before. The sin-bin experiment wasn’t given a chance to work by managers a few years back and the latest efforts to cut out the niggly, professional fouling that is blighting the game will also go by the wayside. In case you’re not up to date, come the New Year a yellow card will mean a player must leave the field and be replaced by another player, with the player yellowed not allowed to return to the fray. Typical GAA. Half-hearted attempt to curb indiscipline that looks and sounds good in theory, but we know what will happen in practice. Six or seven players will be replaced in a couple of games and this is all the media will talk about. Sure I’ll talk about it myself! Then coaches, managers, pundits and players will be giving out yards about the unworkable experiment and games that are “ruined as a spectacle”. It won’t make it to the championship. Bring in the sin-bin and be done with it.

First-year bainisteoirs will do well

It used to be a soccer thing but first-time managers seem to be getting a bounce factor out of GAA teams all over the country these last few years. Expect 2009 to be no different. Pat O’Shea and Jack O’Connor won titles in recent years, as did Joe Kiernan, Mickey Harte and even Ger Loughnane. With the intensity of training nowadays a change is as good as a rest. Look at Liam Sheedy last year. He completely reinvigorated a Tipp team and made them the best team in Munster by a country mile. In 2009 look out for Dalyo and John McIntyre. The Dubs will beat Antrim and with a good draw would rattle Offaly and maybe beat Wexford. That man will lift them with enthusiasm alone.

Galway hurlers have a serious advantage in 2009

For the first time Galway are really going to get the benefit of the back door. Better than that, they are possibly going to get two cracks at Kilkenny. The Tribesmen could meet the Cats in a Leinster semi-final or final, both will suit them, because should they lose they keep going. In recent years the champions have only really come up against a demoralised Wexford down the tracks. But Galway are a different kettle of fish. Losing to Brian Cody in June by a couple of points wouldn’t frighten them come August. They will have a chance to regroup after a loss, find out about their team and still be in the championship – something that Cork, Tipperary and even Kilkenny have put to good use. This is their first time in this situation. In racehorse terms, they are now ahead of the handicapper.

Tyrone won’t retain Sam

The Ulster champions just don’t do repeats. Apart from Down in 1961, it’s been blanks the following year from Down in ’92, Donegal in ’93, Derry in ’94, Down again in ’95, Armagh in 2003 and, of course, Tyrone in the years after they won Sam, 2004 and 2006. The Dubs. Ah the Dubs. If the suits in Croke Park could buy an All-Ireland they would mortgage the stadium to ensure a Dublin victory in September. Nothing wrong with that by the way. Bums on seats and all that. While I think right now, in December, that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, come September 2009, if the Dubs are still there, my culchie instincts will have taken over. I might even shout for Kerry, whom, we all know, will be there.

A betting scandal is around the corner

Once the GAA fell into the realms of the bookmakers this was always a possibility. I’m over a thousand words in and finally I am going to refer to a thing you’ve missed terribly if you’ve read this far. The Recession. There, I’ve said. It’s out there now. So here’s how it’s going to go down. A bunch of people are going to fix a GAA game. With Division 4 of the National Leagues being quoted for odds, the O’Byrne Cup, the Waterford Crystal League, The College competitions for God’s sake! Students? In hard times? Money is in short supply and there are few easier ways of making it. Fifties and hundreds will be put down in bookies all over the province. It will happen (legend has it that it has happened already, more than once). So when it does and Joe Duffy starts getting calls and the outrage is voiced from on high, just don’t be surprised.

Clare will win the Munster U-21 hurling title!

Sure I had to throw a Clare one in there somewhere. I believe in karma and after last year’s evening-light robbery in Cusack Park, it would be delicious if the Banner could win their first ever provincial title at that grade. The draw looks good and most of the team are underage again in 2009. Sure what could possibly go wrong? Hang on a second, why is that umpire sticking his hand up? What is the ref doing? Karma owes us one. Actually it’s more than one, but a Munster U-21 hurling championship would make it all go away.

We will be entertained

There has never been a bad year for hurling. The game is simply too strong. Too pure. It’s our game. Played by the best it cannot be topped. Losing a great game of hurling doesn’t hurt as much as it should beca