The balance of power rests in Munster at the moment and the All-Ireland finalists are most likely to come from the province.
As Limerick showed last year, finishing third in the group is no great impediment to All-Ireland ambitions and that’s why I can see Tipperary building a momentum which could take them all the way to the final.
Galway have the strongest case of those from Leinster but they haven’t really pushed on from 2017. They were well beaten for the most part in last year’s final having struggled through to that stage, with the late comeback diminishing just how superior Limerick were on the day.
Galway have lacked that dynamic that Limerick have now with intense competition for places in the panel. If they reach the semi-final, they’ll have Joe Canning back but he could be chasing his tail a bit by then having missed so much.
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There are vagaries come the semi-final with regard to the draw and some teams having to be kept apart at that stage, but I fancy Tipp to get on a roll and reach a semi-final at least and if they avoid Limerick, I’d expect them to meet in the final.
But I don’t see Limerick being beaten in Croke Park this year.
They’re a different team now and have everything going for them.
They’re physical, athletic, very talented and, perhaps most importantly for a team bidding for two- in-a-row, extremely level-headed.
We’ve seen in previous years where teams win an All-Ireland after a bit of a gap and appear to be a little bit shook in the subsequent League campaign but Limerick drew a line under the celebrations and drove on.
Ominously for the rest, I don’t think we’ve seen them at their very best just yet. They’ve played very well for periods of matches but there’s more in reserve.
It doesn’t simply come down to hunger because every team will want to win but they have such variety in their game it sets them apart.
Power, strength, good in the air, super strikers of the ball and they can retain possession better than anyone.
They have an excellent goal- keeper and can go long or short with their restarts.
They tick every box that you could hope for. To put titles back- to-back you invariably have to be markedly better than the year before. Limerick satisfy that vital criterion for me.
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