THE THROW-IN for the Leinster senior hurling championship takes place this Saturday and then the Munster action starts on Sunday 20 May.

David Burke and Stephen McDonnell were last year's provincial winning captains.

They’re always eagerly-awaited championships but this year they have taken on a whole new complexion with the old knockout formats removed.

So what’s the new hurling structure that the counties will be operating in this year?

Here’s how it’s all going to work out:

Players at the recent Leinster senior hurling launch. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

- The Leinster senior hurling championship will feature Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford. The Munster senior hurling championship will involve Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

- Both championships will be played on a round-robin format with the Leinster games commencing on 12 May and finishing on 9 June, while the Munster matches start on 20 May and end on 17 June.

- Every team plays four games with the scheduling seeing Tipperary, Waterford, Offaly and Wexford all playing for four consecutive weekends. Every county has two home games and away games with the exception of Waterford as the unavailability of Walsh Park will mean they will play their ‘home games’ in the Gaelic Grounds and Semple Stadium.

Derek McGrath and his Waterford players will be on the road. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

- The Leinster fixtures are:

• 12 May – Offaly v Galway, Tullamore, 7pm.
• 13 May – Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park, 2pm.
• 20 May – Wexford v Dublin, Innovate Wexford Park, 3pm; Kilkenny v Offaly, Nowlan Park, 3pm.
• 26 May – Offaly v Wexford, Tullamore, 7pm.
• 27 May – Galway v Kilkenny, Pearse Stadium, 4pm.
• 2 June – Wexford v Galway, Innovate Wexford Park, 5pm.
• 3 June – Dublin v Offaly, Parnell Park, 3pm.
• 9 June – Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium, 7pm; Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park, 7pm.
• 1 July – Final, Croke Park.

Action from last year's Leinster hurling final in Croke Park. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

- The Munster fixtures are:

• 20 May – Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 2pm; Cork v Clare, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 4pm.
• 27 May – Tipperary v Cork, Semple Stadium, 2pm; Clare v Waterford, Cusack Park, 3.30pm.
• 2 June – Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7pm.
• 3 June – Waterford v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 4pm.
• 10 June – Limerick v Waterford, Gaelic Grounds, 2pm; Tipperary v Clare, Semple Stadium, 2pm.
• 17 June – Clare v Limerick, Cusack Park, 2pm; Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium, 2pm.
• 1 July – Final, Venue TBC.

Players at the recent Munster senior hurling launch. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

- The top two teams in each group advance to their respective provincial finals. The provincial winners qualify for the All-Ireland semi-finals, the beaten finalists go into the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the third placed team in the group will play in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.

- The fourth placed team in each province will have their season end.

- The bottom placed team in the Leinster group will be relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup., which began last weekend and is contested by Laois, Westmeath, Meath, Antrim, Carlow and Kerry.

- The exception is if Kerry win the Joe McDonagh Cup, then they will play off against the bottom team in the Munster group at a neutral Munster venue determined by the CCCC. The winners of that play-off game will play in the Munster championship next year, the loser will be relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup and in that scenario the bottom team in the Leinster group will not be relegated.

-  There will be two points awarded for a win and one for a draw in the Leinster and Munster groups. In the event of teams finishing on equal points in the groups, the tie shall decided by the following means and in this order:

• Where two teams are tied, the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the group
• Score difference
• Highest total score for
• Highest total goals for
• A play-off

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!

‘They’ve a lot to offer in that environment:’ Wexford’s McDonald the latest GAA player to open up a gym

‘The best in the country’ and ‘fickle’ – the life of a Cork hurler