"League is league, but championship is championship". One of the many hackneyed lines trotted out each year in the GAA world, primarily by a side that has a middling-to-positive start to the year ahead of the championship, but looking to dial things down before the important business begins.
Supporters of the view that league form - especially those with promising campaigns under their respective belts - is no indicator of what will follow will point to last year's enthralling Division 1 final as a case in point.
Taking over a side on the back of successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats, Mickey Harte led Derry to a statement victory over Dublin on penalties. It proved to be one of the most entertaining games of the year and the dial seemed to be pointing towards the Oak Leaf County replicating the exploits of 1993. It also suggested that Dessie Farrell's side were in no mood to relinquish Sam Maguire.
What unfolded was significantly different.
Derry quickly ran out of steam after putting so much stock into the first part of the year. Another shootout success, against Mayo in the qualifiers, kept their season on life support, but four defeats from six saw Harte leave his post with a bloodied nose.
The Dubs also exited at the quarter-final stage, defeat to Galway proving to be a swansong for James McCarthy and Brian Fenton, and possibly more to follow.
Twelve months previous and a similar fate to Harte befell Mayo boss Kevin McStay, who also marked his first season in charge with a Division 1 title, only to bow meekly out of the All-Ireland race at the quarter-final stage.
Dublin in their pomp never seemed to treat the competition as a poor relation, racking up three titles and another final appearance during the six-in-a-row period.
Whatever about the likelihood of the 2025 winner going on to add more to the trophy cabinet, this year's Division 1 has a particularly blockbuster feel to it. Out are Roscommon and Monaghan, replaced by All-Ireland champions (Armagh) and Ulster champions (Donegal).
While it is said most years - and Armagh rebuked the notion in some style in 2024 - the likelihood of a team outside the top tier climbing the Hogan Stand this summer looks even more remote. One bookmaker has Mayo, the Division 1 outsiders, as eighth favourite for All-Ireland glory. The next side in the pecking order, Connacht rivals Roscommon, are more than three times the price.
The here and now of course is what happens over the nine weeks of league action, where Ulster's strength is demonstrated with 50% representation in the top flight.
How Armagh shoulder the weight of responsibility of All-Ireland champions could be instructive for the summer; a challenging start will add fuel to the fire of those suggesting last year was once while conversely a winning start away to Galway will embolden Kieran McGeeney's side for the year ahead.
Derry (Paddy Tally) and Tyrone (Malachy O'Rourke) have new men in at the helm looking to improve fortunes, while Jim McGuinness in his second year back in charge of Donegal should have his side further entrenched into his footballing philosophy. The addition of Michael Murphy will only add to the feeling that last year's Division 2 and Ulster titles are stepping stones to greater days ahead.
Kerry, the most decorated side in the competition, may not channel all energies into a 24th title, but with the Clifford brothers enjoying a longer break than recent years, are more likely to be looking down than up.
Dublin are in something of a state of flux, with some of the decorated stalwarts moving on and possibly more to follow. Dessie Farrell says he has brought 16 new players into the panel and unearthing a couple of players in spring that can make the step-up come championship would boost their credentials no end.
Connacht rivals Mayo and Galway complete the line-up. The Tribesmen are the side with the longest drought for Division 1 silverware, with their last success coming in 1981.
Mayo have won it twice in the last six years, and could do with keeping clear of relegation worries after a disappointing 2024 and a number of players - Rob Hennelly (retirement) along with Padraig O'Hora and Cillian O'Connor (year out) - stepping away.
A county board review in September concluded that Kevin McStay will remain in charge and a decent start would quell some of the downbeat predictions regarding the Green and Red.
Armagh
2024 league: Second in Division 2
2024 championship: All-Ireland champions
Manager: Kieran McGeeney (11th season in charge)
Squad news: Jarly Óg Burns is out for the forseeable with a lateral meniscus tear. Mullaghbawn's Fergal O'Brien shone on Sigerson Cup duty. Callum O'Neill, the Belleek one, not Clan na Gael is coming off some injury issues and could be an option in both midfield and full-forward. Darragh McMullen was a surprise starter in last year's Division 2 final and while he didn't feature again after, is a highly-rated young forward
Kieran McGeeney's backroom team of Kieran Donaghy, Conleth Gilligan and Ciaran McKeever will also remain on board for the defence of their All-Ireland title. Unlike last year, when McGeeney's management was famously put to a vote, with certain clubs hankering for change, his continuation as manager was waved through unanimously this time around.
Prospects: After a positive league – one of only three counties to finish the group stages of the league unbeaten and edged out by a point by Donegal in the Division 2 decider – the Orchard County sealed promotion to the top flight with minimal fuss. That achievement was blown out of the water when the Orchard County landed an unlikely All-Ireland title in July.
A repeat of last July's All-Ireland final gets the league up and running before Ulster derbies at home to Tyrone and away to Donegal. A decent start would be preferable given the scheduling sees Armagh host Dublin in round 5 before travelling to Kerry next time out. With the hype and celebrations surrounding the Sam Maguire success, McGeeney would gladly take a non-descript middle of the table campaign before gearing up for championship.
League prediction: Seventh
Derry
2024 league: Division 1 champions
2024 championship: All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry
Manager: Paddy Tally (first year in charge)
Squad news: After 15 years with the Oak County and the oldest player to receive a maiden All-Star (2022), defender Chrissy McKaigue will not be part of the Paddy Tally era. Goalkeeper Ryan Scullion has left the panel, while Conor McCluskey and Paudi McGrogan are recovering to full fitness. Glenullin outfield player Neil McNicholl has been added to the goalkeeping options while Charlie Diamond is another who is banging on the door of a call-up having backed up his All-Ireland winning minor pedigree with strong Sigerson and club (Bellaghy) form.
Prospects: Brendan Rodgers echoed what many felt about Derry's 2024 season, that pushing hard to win the McKenna Cup and Division 1 may have cost the team down the line. The absence of pre-season competitions ruled out a similar issue this time around, while Paddy Tally may wish to run the rule over fringe players and others looking to make a mark. Away games in Ulster (Tyrone and Armagh) bookend the group schedule. Derry are one of four top-flight sides, along with Donegal, Mayo and Galway, who would have to give careful consideration to the merit of reaching a final given their championship campaign begins just a fortnight later in the blockbuster Ulster preliminary with Donegal.
League prediction: Fifth
Donegal
2024 league: Division 2 champions
2024 championship: All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway
Manager: Jim McGuinness (second year of current stint)
Squad news: The return of talisman Michael Murphy was arguably the story of the off-season. Jim McGuinness however has persuaded four more players to rejoin the panel. Naomh Conaill's Eoghan McGettigan, Gaoth Dobhair's Odhran McFadden-Ferry along with the experienced Eoin McHugh of Kilcar and youngster Finnbarr Roarty are also back in the fold. Former Athlone Town and Cabinteely player Jonny Carlin was called into the Donegal training panel over the winter. Carlin was part of the Wicklow panel in 2024, but has transferred back to Red Hugh's.
Prospects: Perhaps the most intriguing county of them all for 2025. After a dismal 2023, Jim McGuinness led his county to a Division 2 title and provincial success. Indeed an All-Ireland final looked on the cards before fading out at the penultimate stage. Is there scope for much improvement? Can 35-year-old Michael Murphy roll back the years and elevate the side to a new level?
Across two stints in charge, McGuinness has only experienced two seasons in Division 1. Sixth in 2012 was followed by relegation 12 months later, with the Naomh Conaill man known to favour a more intense training schedule in the lead-up to championship. Likely to rely on victories at MacCumhaill Park with away trips to Killarney, Tuam and Castlebar.
League prediction: Fourth
Dublin
2024 league: Division 1 finalists
2024 championship: All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Galway
Manager: Dessie Farrell (sixth year in charge)
Squad news: James McCarthy and Brian Fenton have bowed out, with rumours still swirling around the respective futures of nine-time All-Ireland winners Mick Fitzsimons and Stephen Cluxton. Davey Byrne has returned to the fold after a year away travelling, while former Dublin hurler Eoghan O'Donnell and ex-AFL man James Madden are part of the mix. In all Dessie Farrell has brought 16 new players into the panel. Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and John Small have not been part of the training panel to date, though confirmation on their plans are not likely to be forthcoming until the first outing against Mayo.
Prospects: Successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats in '21 and '22 suggested the high water mark for Dublin football had passed, with a period on transition on the cards. Delivering Sam Maguire for the second time under Dessie Farrell's watch in 2023 seemed to cast doubt on their obituary. Last year they were denied in the Division 1 decider by a ravenous Derry, but only after falling short in a penalty shootout. A second-half fadout to Galway with an All-Ireland semi-final at stake, plus the subsequent retirements of Brian Fenton and James McCarthy, have many questioning where they stand in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not the force of old, yet on their day with all available options are on par with fellow contenders. Farrell, like his predecessor Jim Gavin, doesn't have to worry about a leaky ship. There have been challenge games with Wicklow, Louth and Roscommon, but who was togging out and how they performed is information on a need to know basis.
League prediction: Second
Galway
2024 league: Sixth in Division 1
2024 championship: All-Ireland finalists
Manager: Pádraic Joyce (fifth season)
Squad news: In the backroom team, Cian O'Neill has departed for Kerry after three years with the Tribe, with Mickey Graham closing out one of the shortest inter-county managerial stints in history with Leitrim to join the set-up.
Prospects: "We'll re-assess it and see where we go," was Pádraic Joyce's reaction after a deflating second-half performance against Armagh last July to ensure Galway's Sam Maguire famine would extend past 23 years. The Tuam native is staying in situ, while five All-Stars and the Player of the Year in Paul Conroy suggests the foundations remain solid. Injuries and form meant Damien Comer and Shane Walsh were rarely at full tilt, so their league participation could be minded. With Rob Finnerty now cemented as one of the best in the business, the Tribesmen have serious tools with which to prosper with the new rules, Conroy getting more bang for his buck with long-range shooting already in 2025.
League prediction: Third
Kerry
2024 league: Third in Division 1
2024 championship: All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Armagh
Manager: Jack O'Connor (fourth season of current stint)
Squad news: Stephen O'Brien and Adrian Spillane have hung up the inter-county boots, while Cillian Burke has made the move to Geelong Cats in the AFL. O'Connor has called in a number of players to an early open-ended panel to bolster his options, among them Dr Crokes trio Mark O’Shea, Evan Looney and Charlie Keating, as well as former minor and Under-21 defender Tom Leo O’Sullivan.
Prospects: Last year's solid, if not spectacular league, was just what suited those in the Kingdom. The two defeats came against the top two - edged out at home by Derry and a more bruising loss to a Con O'Callaghan-inspired Dublin - and the season looked to be going to script at the business end of the season. A five-point second-half lead over Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final suggested another day out in the football showpiece was imminent, but the Orchard County rallied to deny Jack O'Connor a shot at two All-Irelands in three years since his return.
Now there are increased concerns among certain sections of supporters. The record against Dublin since the epic 2021 semi-final win has quickly swung back in favour of the men in blue. Other questions float around the Kerry ether. Can they lessen the scoring burden on David Clifford - who will be eased back into action - after a rather subdued 2024 following hectic club and county commitments? Can Jack O'Connor unearth more options around the middle of the field? Where to play Seanie O'Shea to exact his greatest influence? Are they short a 'dogged' defender to compliment their current personnel? The league won't fully answer those queries, but it will shape the Kerry narrative as championship looms into view.
League prediction: First
Mayo
2024 league: Fourth in Division 1
2024 championship: All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Derry
Manager: Kevin McStay (third season)
Squad news: Goalkeeper Rob Hennelly has retired while Padraig O'Hora and the championship's record points scorer Cillian O'Connor have stepped away for a year.
Prospects: It's Year Three of the Kevin McStay project and Mayo fans will be hoping for an improvement on two championship campaigns that have petered out. In 2023, a slack outing against Cork in the round-robin led to a date with Dublin in Croke Park, with the hosts winning pulling up. Last year a Connacht final defeat and a penalty shootout loss to Derry indicated the grand plan of All-Ireland glory is some way off. The number of empty seats that Saturday night in Castlebar was also telling. The league offers McStay a way to build their way into the season, getting more game-time into those needing to prove their worth in a changing panel. Starting away to Dublin and at home to Galway is just the early gut-check they need.
League prediction: Eighth
Tyrone
2024 league: Fifth in Division 1
2024 championship: All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Roscommon
Manager: Malachy O'Rourke (first year in charge)
Squad news: Two-time All-Ireland finalist Mark Bradley hasn't played since 2021 and will offer more attacking options, while Richie Donnelly has been linked with a return. Mattie Donnelly is back again for another year despite some serious injuries.
Prospects: Having only reached the quarter-final stage once since an unlikely All-Ireland title in 2021, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan stepped away with two more years to complete on their second term after failing to get above 50% win ratio in either league or championship last year.
Errigal Ciaran's journey to Croke Park is likely to rob them off key players - most notably Peter Harte and the Canavan brothers - for the early rounds.
League prediction: Sixth
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