1. Davy’s Clare – united they stand or divided they fall?
If you were to take a man’s word at face value, you’d readily believe that the entire country is ganging up against Clare, willing them to fail.
There’s no denying the magic Davy Fitzgerald worked to get his young team to win a most unlikely All-Ireland in 2013 but equally, it doesn’t take a genius to see that the wheels have started to come off since the summer of Beatlemania — a damp squib of a championship defence followed by the intransigence that saw Podge Collins and throw their lot in with the footballers and then the “bullying” allegations that cast a dark cloud.
Clare insist that they remain a squad united, ready to prove that their All-Ireland was no flash in the plan. In Tony Kelly, they have the outstanding young hurler in the country and a player whose magic can single-handedly swing a game.
But make no mistake, if it all goes pear-shaped, it will be hard to shake the feeling that something rotten has taken hold in the Banner.
2. Will the Kilkenny conveyor belt keep on rolling?
The haters will again find a reason to undermine Kilkenny’s credentials but if last summer proved anything, it’s that the Cats are at their most dangerous when they have a point to prove. They drew an emphatic line under the disappointment of 2013 and roared back to win number 35. The gap between the best and the rest might not have been as pronounced as in the past but Liam was back on Noreside nonetheless.
While Henry Shefflin’s loss will be felt, they managed just fine without him for the most part.
But with JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Aidan Fogarty and David Herity all gone as well, Brian Cody’s dressing room has lost an unthinkable 48 All-Ireland winners’ medals.
That certainly seemed to take its toll in a disappointing league campaign which saw the Cats lose three games in a row for the first time in yonks and narrowly avoid relegation.
It’s tempting to attach a WARNING sign to Kilkenny’s prospects — but then, those who forget the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.
3. Can the Joe show survive solo?
The retirement of the King opened a conversation about his natural successor, and Joe Canning is as obvious a candidate as any. Nobody would deny the Portumna ace his three Allstars but much like the debate that surrounds Leo Messi’s place in the football canon while he is yet to win a World Cup, it is hard to argue for Canning as the best of the elite bunch until Galway end their 27-year wait for Liam.
The fear for Galway — and for Canning — is that the star men in his supporting cast are starting to age. Of the five others who won Allstars in 2012, four are 31 or older (only David Burke, now 25, bucks the trend.)
There is young blood coming through — take Paul Killeen and Jason Flynn for example — but the feeling remains that if Galway are to shake the “transition” tag and launch a legitimate challenge, the onus is on Canning. It’s a heavy cross to bear.
4. Can Waterford cope without Mahony?
All credit to Derek McGrath and Waterford. They were without a doubt the success story of the league campaign — and they did it on their own terms.
For McGrath, there must be a real sense of vindication in the Déise’s blossoming. He was criticised for cleaning house, blooding a group of youngsters, and creating a system that would allow them to thrive. Now they are rightly being spoken about as a county that could well contend into August and beyond.
There’s just one snag; in losing Pauric Mahony to a cruel shin break, they have lost the joint-top scorer from the league campaign and a leader. The Ballygunner man posted 1-90 and his unerring reliability, especially from dead balls, is practically irreplaceable.
That Maurice Shanahan, his most likely deputy, is also struggling with injury ahead of the Munster semi-final versus Cork on 7 June doesn’t help either.
But the league proved that this Waterford side, resilient and adaptable, is no one-man show.
5. Have Dublin reached their tipping point?
Anthony Daly dragged Dublin’s hurling revolution to the cusp of greatness; indeed, in securing the Leinster title, he delivered something that nobody else had in 52 years.
But such are the high standards in the capital now that nothing less than the ultimate prize will suffice, and there is a quiet optimism that Ger Cunningham can guide Dublin through those final steps.
There were plenty of positives in the league campaign as Cunningham tinkered with personnel, positions and tactics — Conal Keaney at wing-back, Liam Rushe at full-forward, and the emergence of David Treacy and Colm Cronin as threats to give any defence sleepless nights.
Even despite their late capitulation against Cork, Dublin certainly appear to be in a stronger position than last summer. With Galway visiting Croke Park, and the possibilty that Kilkenny might not be at their awesome best, a second Leinster title in three years is very much within their grasp.
After that, who knows?
