We're into uncharted waters in the first round of this year's league. Making definite predictions about how things will go is a mug's game this weekend.
So much depends on how quickly teams can adapt to the new rules, which are still bedding in. It could be a recipe for chaos and confusion on the pitch and in the stands in the early rounds.
Teams will be ultra-mindful about the new rules concerning the two-point arc, the requirement to keep three players 'up-top' and the solo-and-go. But you're also coming up against fairly ingrained habits in terms of how county players have learned to play the modern game. These could die hard.
I was a big proponent of abolishing the pre-season competitions but there is some irony that the first year they were gotten rid of was one where they might have proved useful.
We did get a taster in the challenge matches, where we got plenty of mixed reports of how teams were adjusting.
I heard reports that the '3v3' rule was missed by referees and officials, who presumably had their eyes on events at the other end of the pitch. That wasn't the case in Newbridge, where Galway gave away four gimme frees off the back of failing to keep three forwards advanced. David Gough was alerted to the fact by the home crowd, who weren't shy of letting him know.
There was better news for Galway in other regards, though. As suspected, Paul Conroy made hay, landing four two-pointers after coming on in the second half. At 35 years old, the Footballer of the Year could be just coming into his own.
By contrast, I watched Mayo-Monaghan live-stream, where there wasn't a single two-pointer kicked by either team. Not for the want of trying from Mayo's perspective. Worryingly enough, they dropped somewhere in the region of 15 shots short into Rory Beggan's hands. Though there is some mitigation in that conditions were very poor on the night.
Given the ingenuity of the coaching fraternity, before long we can expect them to be designing set-plays and patterns about how to tee up a free two-point shot on the edge of the arc. And then with the option of exploiting the space in behind if defending players rush out to prevent the shot.
Broadly, I'm in favour of the new rules even if I do expect a bumpy adjustment period.
Particularly, from a defensive perspective, strangely enough. I heard Kevin Feely complain that the new rules created a forwards paradise but I feel they could really separate the elite defenders from the rest.
Defenders in the modern game have gotten used to functioning as a collective. Operating as part of a blanket. We should get to see who are the best defensive players in man-to-man situations, with the safety mode switched off.
Provided teams avail of the outlet to go direct, we could see how comfortable or uncomfortable some of those so-called better defenders are once the game is stretched. The solo-and-go rule is another which will test their concentration, given that the fouling player has, until now, had a tendency to switch off once he's conceded the free.
On the downside, I'm very wary of some of the disciplinary measures enacted, which seem a bit draconian to me. Diarmuid O'Connor branded the rule requiring a player to hand the ball immediately back to an opposing player if a free is awarded as 'unnatural', which will be penalised with the ref carrying the free forward by 50 metres. It seems excessive and a lot will be left down to the interpretation of the referee.
Forced to make a prediction concerning the league overall, I'd have Donegal pegged as big contenders.
There's a feeling that they left something behind in the Galway game last year. They obviously have one of the sharpest minds in Gaelic football at the helm, especially important when everyone is scrambling to get to grips with rule changes.
I'm hearing reports that Oisín Gallen has been tearing it up in challenge matches. Despite the rumours that Michael Murphy is being deployed as a goalkeeper but that wouldn't make any sense to me. A roving keeper has to do more running under the rules than the old ones.
If used, he's surely going to be in a '3v3' attacking role. Murphy is the same age as myself and his coming out of retirement surprised everyone. Needless to say anyone who watched Mayo club championship last year wasn't demanding I reverse my retirement decision.
As for who's vulnerable, you probably have to plump for Mayo, given the bodies they're missing and some of their absentees. I wonder will Armagh have the same appetite as their rivals in the early rounds after the high of last year.
Tyrone are an enigma, although Malachy O'Rourke comes in with superb credentials. They've made a habit of struggling in the league in recent years and they will have to cope without the Canavan brothers for the early rounds after the knocks they shipped last weekend.
That being said, there's no obvious relegation candidates, in the way that Monaghan were from early on last season.
Speaking of Monaghan, a word for my old pal 'Mansy', the great Conor McManus, on his retirement from inter-county football.
There's no question but that he was one of the best forwards of our generation. And one of the good guys, to boot. We played Monaghan in a league game back in 2015 and I had the misfortune to be put marking him late in the game. Within four minutes, he had me black carded. He got to his feet and laughed, "that's what ya get for marking me".
He spent the guts of two decades in the bear-pit of Ulster football against the toughest defences around and he still delivered time after time. He was the clutch king for Monaghan right up until the twilight of his career, no better example than their sensational run to the semi-final in 2023.
Finally, I must give a shout-out to Crossmolina ahead of this weekend's All-Ireland intermediate final after what has been a brutally tough couple of weeks for the club and everyone in the area. It'll be a tough day but I wish them all the best.
Watch Galway v Armagh in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 4.45pm from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
