Anthony Daly said a topsy-turvy summer has made it difficult to read any reliable form lines in the race for Liam MacCarthy, but refused to write off Kilkenny despite Brian Cody's men getting the "worst draw" the qualifiers could throw up.
The Cats went tumbling through the back door after being edged out by Wexford in the Leinster SHC semi-final and had to dig deep to hold off Limerick in Round 1 of the qualifiers at Nowlan Park on Saturday.
They've been paired with Waterford for mouthwatering round 2 collision, and after Davy Fitzgerald's Model County were well beaten by Galway in the provicncial decider, Daly admitted it's hard to read where some leading counties stand right now.
"You have to look at Saturday night's game and say to yourself, 'well Limerick weren't great against Clare', and then Kilkenny beat them by three points at home, you're saying 'where is the form here?'" he told RTÉ 2fm's Game On.
"All week I was saying Wexford had a real chance but on Sunday morning after the Nowlan Park game I was more inclined to lean Galway's way with a bit more conviction.
"I don't think Kilkenny will win the All-Ireland but I wouldn't be writing them off yet. You wouldn't be shocked to see them running down the tunnel in September either.
"Having said that, they probably got the worst draw. Everyone made them favourites to beat Limerick.
"Tipp beat Westmeath and they weren't impressive. I was at the Dublin-Laois game and the Dubs in the second half kind of did what they liked, Laois were missing so many players.
"But you'd still have to play very well to beat that young Limerick team.
"They're good players and well capable of beating you on a given day. Kilkenny had to negotiate that one now, but you saw the way the draw is after going, they have to negotiate a massive one again (against Waterford) on Saturday."
Wexford headed to Croke Park for their first provincial final in nine years but were well beaten by a ruthless Galway outfit.
After their lung-busting slaying of Kilkenny, it was a disappointing outcome, and Daly said they paid the price for their key men failing to fire.
"When you're a team like Wexford, and you're making great progress, you had a great victory over Kilkenny, you get your promotion in the league, but when you come to game like that in front of 60,000 in a Leinster final, it's all new for them as well, you need your big guns to really have huge games.
"Ironically 1-04 came from their defence. That would show you that you need more from what's further up the field. They just didn't have that."
All-Ireland Hurling Round 2 Qualifiers, July 8
Dublin v Tipperary, 5pm, Semple Stadium
Waterford v Kilkenny, 7pm, Semple Stadium
All-Ireland Football Round 3A Qualifier, July 8
Clare v Mayo, 5pm, Cusack Park
Meath v Donegal, 6pm, Páirc Tailteann
