Clare are still the number two hurling team in Ireland, according to former Limerick player Niall Moran.
The Banner have often been touted as the team that can properly challenge the four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions over the last 24 months.
When push has come to shove however, they haven't been able to make it far enough to challenge Limerick on the biggest day, losing back-to-back All-Ireland semi-finals to Kilkenny over the last two years.
They started their 2024 Allianz League campaign with a victory over Cork at Ennis on Sunday.
While acknowledging that it's still very early into the new campaign, Moran says that Brian Lohan's charges have the potential to make a real impact in 2024.
"Look at someone like Mark Rodgers," he opened on RTÉ 2fm's Game On.
"He was really, really impressive last year. He just looked a different animal [against Cork]. He came away with the man of the match [award] and it just looked like he owned the pitch a lot more. That's a guy coming of age.
"Darragh Lohan was far more impressive at wing-back than what he was last year. That was another bonus.
"What you're seeing is that they're developing. Adam Hogan is another year older, Diarmuid Ryan is another year old. They're coming with guys who have a lot of positive experience built up.
"They had no Tony Kelly or John Conlan; they've a lot of guys who are going to come back into it. Without doubt the belief is in Clare that they know if they do come down the home stretch with Limerick, they do have the artillary to finish it, even though it didn't always come that way.
"Tipperary were also impressive over the weekend but they still have to cross that bridge when they're coming down the home straight against Limerick, Kilkenny or Galway.
"Clare have added a couple of players onto what they already had. They've a settled management team and they're settled on the pitch and all those things are very positive."
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Watch Cork v Kilkenny in the Allianz Hurling League on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch highlights on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 9.30pm, follow a live blog every Sunday afternoon on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live updates on Sunday Sport
