For the critics of the Allianz Hurling League and its lack of jeopardy, the second tier for the football league is surely the Mecca of competitive pre-championship action.
Division 2 came into much sharper focus with the restructure of the championship format last year, with the top 16 sides at the end of the league campaign - except for those replaced by lower-ranked provincial finalists - advancing to the All-Ireland series, the remaining half competing for the Tailteann Cup.
It made for all types of scenarios and calculations going into the final round, when Clare suffered relegation yet made the All-Ireland series courtesy of their journey to a Munster final. Expect more of the same this time around.
And whatever about the action on the pitch, eyes and attentions will focus on some of the personnel patrolling the sidelines, with three teams under new management.
The return of Jim McGuinness to the Donegal hotseat will be fascinating. Will he introduce ideas picked up from his time with soccer clubs Derry City, Celtic, Beijing Guoan and Charlotte Independence?
Having sanctioned an eight-metre perimeter fence at their main training pitch at the Convoy Centre of Excellence for privacy, and successfully requesting a week-long training camp in Spain before Christmas, it’s clear that the Glenties man means business in attempting to return his county to the top table. He will be relieved not to be missing the first five games of the campaign, having successfully appealed an eight-week ban for Donegal fielding an underage player in the Dr McKenna Cup.
Cavan too should have fresh ideas given that Raymond Galligan has made the direct move from goalkeeper to manager, while former Dublin defender Ger Brennan will lead Louth in the post Mickey Harte era. After continued progression under the Tyrone native - within a whisker of three successive promotions and an appearance in the Leinster final - last year tailed off badly with four successive defeats. Brennan's first aim will surely be consolidation.
Harte’s exit, and subsequent move into the Derry hot seat, caused quite a stir, and it would be quite the achievement if Brennan could improve on last year’s position of third in the table.
Armagh, on paper at least, look the best bet to make the jump back to Division 1. Kieran McGeeney embarks on his 10th season in charge, and some silverware, even if it's an early-season trophy, could set the Orchard County up for a decent run in the championship, especially with Tyrone, Monaghan, Derry and Donegal on the other side of the Ulster draw.
Cork and Armagh are the only sides that reached the last eight of the All-Ireland football championship in 2023 and John Cleary will be hoping that in his second year in charge, his ideas will be further embedded into his panel. A McGrath Cup success over Kerry - on penalties - will be quickly forgotten about, but having made inroads last year into narrowing the gap against the top sides (two and four-point losses to Kerry and Derry respectively), can they kick on another level?
With the likes of David Hyland, Neil Flynn, Darragh Malone and Jack Robinson all away travelling, Kildare manager Glenn Ryan will be hoping to unearth a few more players in the league, without jeopardising their Division 2 status.
And speaking of dealing with personnel issues, Fermanagh probably have it tougher than most. Staying afloat in the second tier was always going to be a challenge in itself, but having to do so minus three of your most decorated players makes it an even more uphill task for the Erne men.
Their match with Meath on Saturday afternoon is the first fixture of the Allianz Football League, with the Royals buoyed by their Tailteann Cup success. Regardless of how the league and Leinster championship pans out, Colm O'Rourke's men are destined for the All-Ireland series, which may allow for bolder team selections and experimentation.
Armagh
2023 league: Relegated from Division 1
2023 championship: Ulster final defeat to Derry, All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Monaghan
2024 championship: Ulster quarter-final v Fermanagh
Manager: Kieran McGeeney (10th year in charge)
Captain: Aidan Forker
Squad news: Stephen Sheridan retires after 69 appearances for his county at senior level. Goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty, who sustained a dislocated ankle and broken leg in July, is targeting a return to action by the end of the league. In a significant boost for Armagh, Jarly Óg Burns has reversed his decision to step away from inter-county football for the 2024 season.
Prospects: The second half of the 2023 season indicated that the Orchard men are close to getting their hands on provincial silverware, but more penalty woe proved to be their downfall. Their last three championship defeats have come in shootouts, but Kieran McGeeney will hope the introduction of former Derry attacker Conleith Gilligan to their backroom team may provide his team with more creative ideas.
On paper they look to have the strongest squad, with Cork the only team in the second tier to have made it to the last eight last year. They bookend the league campaign with games against Louth and Cork, who finished third and fourth last year respectively. Barring injuries, they look well set to bounce back to Division 1.
League prediction: 1st
Cavan
2023 league: Promoted from Division 3
2023 championship: Ulster quarter-final defeat to Armagh, Tailteann Cup quarter-final defeat to Down
2024 championship: Ulster preliminary round v Monaghan
Manager: Raymond Galligan (above, first year in charge)
Co-captains: Padraig Faulkner and Ciarán Brady
Squad news: Long-serving Gearoid McKiernan will not be part of the panel while the side need a new goalkeeper after Galligan's move from nets to the manager's position. Conor Moynagh is another notable absentee.
Prospects: Were it not for Jim McGuinness' return to the Donegal hotseat, the appointment with the most intrigue would have been Cavan’s decision to select goalkeeper Raymond Galligan, former All-Star and team captain, as Mickey Graham’s successor. With a backroom team of 19 – including former Tyrone forward Stephen O’Neill, former Meath ladies All-Ireland winning manager Eamonn Murray, Catherina McKiernan and former Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers – Galligan will look to build on last year’s body of league work that secured promotion.
After defeat to Armagh in Ulster, they regrouped well in the group stages of the Tailteann Cup before exiting at the hands of Down. Who Galligan selects as his replacement between the sticks is crucial given his influence of the team - Liam Brady of Ramor gets the nod this weekend - and throwing in half a dozen debutants in his first game in charge, a narrow McKenna Cup loss to Derry, was indicative that he will be looking to freshen things up this year.
League prediction: 6th
Cork
2023 league: Fourth in Division 2
2023 championship: Munster quarter-final defeat to Clare, All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Derry
2024 championship: Munster quarter-final v Limerick
Manager: John Cleary (second year in charge)
Captain: Brian Hurley
Squad news: With the likes of Seán Powter, Hurley, Kevin O'Donovan and Steven Sherlock injured for the start of the league, Cleary will be heartened by the emergence of sharpshooter David Buckley, whose January highlights reel includes 1-12 for MTU Cork against ATU Donegal last week. Castlehaven pair Jack Cahalane – younger brother of senior hurlers Damien and Conor - and Cathal Maguire are among the newcomers who didn't feature in last year's championship, while goalkeeper Patrick Doyle, Millstreet's Darragh Cashman and Valley Rovers' Jacob O'Driscoll will look to catch the eye. Kevin Flahive is also included after his return from injury.
Prospects: Few would have predicted a championship journey as far as the last eight in 2023 following the Munster defeat to Clare, but the Rebels showed significant signs of improvement as the campaign wore on, with notable wins over Division 1 sides Mayo and Roscommon along the way. Rory Maguire and Tommy Walsh have really bedded into the defence, but it is up front where manager John Cleary will be looking for more punch. Getting more of a tune out of forwards such as Chris Óg Jones and Conor Corbett could help Cork continue their upward curve.
League prediction: 3rd
Donegal
2023 league: Relegated from Division 1
2023 championship: Ulster quarter-final defeat to Down, All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Tyrone
2024 championship: Ulster quarter-final v Derry
Manager: Jim McGuinness (first year in charge for his second stint)
Captain: Patrick McBrearty
Squad news: Despite speculation, Michael Murphy confirmed in December that he would not be open to coming out of retirement.
Prospects: In case you missed the news, McGuinness is back in charge and the faithful supporters will be hoping he can start winning matches. Last year’s league was nothing short of disastrous. Paddy Carr stepped down after just five months in charge, and before the league campaign even concluded. Aidan O’Rourke couldn’t stem the negative momentum as they meekly bowed out of Ulster, though a surprise win over Monaghan, after victory over Clare, progressed them to another joust with Tyrone, with the Red Hand easily progressing.
In short, there is plenty room for improvement for a panel with undoubted potential. The Finbarr Roarty/McGuinness ban/successful appeal was the sideshow in early January, but with Derry and Mickey Harte looming on the Ulster horizon, expect a rejuvenated Donegal to be in a better place heading into this year’s championship.
League prediction: 2nd
Fermanagh
2023 league: Promoted from Division 3
2023 championship: Ulster quarter-final defeat to Derry, Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final defeat to Laois
2024 championship: Ulster quarter-final v Armagh
Manager: Kieran Donnelly (third year in charge)
Captain: Declan McCusker
Squad news: Ryan and Conall Jones, plus key forward Seán Quigley, will not be available for the 2024 season, as the county confirmed the departures citing "unavoidable work and travel commitments". Ciaran Corrigan is also out of the country.
Prospects: For a county with such a small pick of players, losing four key players is a huge blow. Quigley has been a focal point in their attack - it was his late goals against Antrim and Down last year that ultimately secured promotion. With midfielder Ryan Jones and younger brother Conall removed from the forward line, and the talented dual player Corrigan in Australia, survival will be the primary focus for manager Kieran Donnelly.
Winning home games will be crucial to their survival, and they will hope to get something on the board from their first two games in Ederney against Kildare and Cork respectively. Though the fixture list has been somewhat unfortunate for the promoted side in that they finish the campaign with away games to Louth and Cavan.
League prediction: 8th
Kildare
2023 league: Fifth in Division 2
2023 championship: Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin, All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Monaghan
2024 championship: Leinster quarter-final v Westmeath/Wicklow
Manager: Glenn Ryan (third year in charge)
Captain: Mick O'Grady
Squad news: David Hyland, Neil Flynn, Darragh Malone and Jack Robinson will be away travelling for the 2024 season.
Prospects: The return of the experienced Niall Kelly to the fold is a huge boost for Glenn Ryan, who has already started to blood some of the under-20 All-Ireland winning group, with Ryan Burke and Harry O’Neill among those looking to make an impression on the starting team.
League prediction: 5th
Louth
2023 league: Third in Division 2
2023 championship: Leinster final defeat to Dublin, All-Ireland series exit
2024 championship: Leinster quarter-final v Wexford/Carlow
Manager: Ger Brennan (first year in charge)
Captain: Sam Mulroy (pictured above)
Squad news: Niall Sharkey, Liam Jackson and Bevan Duffy have stepped away for varying reasons. Goalkeeper James Califf has retired after 14 seasons for the Wee County.
Prospects: A solid league campaign was carried into championship as the Wee County made it to a Leinster final, but from there it fell apart, four defeats on the spin, the more spectacular of those 31-point and 28-point drubbings at the hands of Dublin and Kerry respectively.
Mickey Harte’s departure, after bringing them up from Division 4, was a hammer blow after the laying of such good foundations, but in Ger Brennan they have someone who is itching to showcase his ambition at inter-county level. A comprehensive defeat to Meath in the O’Byrne Cup in his opening match in charge was perhaps a reminder that the depth may not be what he would like it to be, with five debutants pitched in and other fringe players afforded the opportunity to impress. Ace attacker Sam Mulroy - pictured above - will again be central to their aspirations, but will the departure of Harte have a lasting impact?
League prediction: 7th
Meath
2023 league: Sixth in Division 2
2023 championship: Leinster quarter-final defeat to Offaly, Tailteann Cup winners
2024 championship: Leinster preliminary round v Longford
Manager: Colm O'Rourke (above, second year in charge)
Captain: Ronan Jones
Squad news: Having missed the bulk of 2023 due to injury, O'Rourke can call on Shane Walsh and Darragh Campion again. Michael Murphy, Ciarán Caulfield and Sean Coffey will all make their league debuts on the opening weekend.
Prospects: While Colm O'Rourke's championship reign got off to an inauspicious start in defeat to Offaly, the manner in which they claimed silverware in the Tailteann Cup with a more traditional attacking approach will give Royals supporters hope that the future is bright. However, a longer run in Leinster looks a tall order given the reward for getting past Longford would be a semi-final date with All-Ireland champions Dublin.
The addition of two-time All-Ireland winner Trevor Giles to the backroom team will excite fans of a certain vintage and while last year's success means that at the very least they will take their place in the All-Ireland series, a bit of early-season momentum could lend itself to an upset or two.
League prediction: 4th
