It's only just May and the hurling championship is up and running and already there is a lot of intrigue.
Recently, only Limerick see a clear path since first throw-in. Other counties brace for a maze of crossroads, cul de sacs and wrong turns down boithríní.
This weekend belongs to teams with those sorts of problems.
First up, Wexford play Galway down on the south-east Riviera, both teams togging out hoping to find the personality for themselves.
Wexford are a critical case. They gave away two late goals against Dublin on the opening day. They went north to Antrim last week and coughed up a seven-point lead and decided Lee Chin didn’t really need a supporting cast.
Wexford need to take four points minimum from their remaining games with Galway, Carlow and Kilkenny. They need more variety and conviction. They need Chin carrying fewer passengers.
So what about an Gaillimh?
It’s almost surprising to remember that this is a Leinster Championship in which Kilkenny are quietly going for their fifth in a row?
Yes, it was shadowboxing between Galway and Kilkenny in Salthill last Sunday, but the stripey ones were in the ring without goalkeeper Eoin Murphy and big-name forwards Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen.
Yet they still scored 29 points.
Kilkenny know they have better inside themselves, Galway can’t be too sure what their potential is.
Wexford desperately need the points tomorrow. Hurling Nation says neither side will get what they need, but backs the Tribesmen to escape with the win.
A little later, across the rivers Barrow and Suir, there is even more intrigue on the menu in Waterford.
Tipperary arrive at Walsh Park on life support. They came in cold against Limerick last Sunday and left frostbitten. Liam Cahill wondered afterwards where his team’s energy had gone. Good question.
They lost the game by 15 points. They lost the second half by 10 and lost the turnover count by an embarrassing margin.
Tipp have had just six days to digest all of that.
Davy Fitzgerald sat in the Gaelic Grounds eyeing Tipp the way a cobra might study a confused rabbit.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The Deise were the big surprise of the first round. They were confident and coherent and convinced us that word of their demise has been exaggerated.
They have had two weeks of training under their belts since. To be taken seriously, they must follow it up with a result, and we think they will.
Elsewhere tomorrow, there is a full and tasty schedule of Joe McDonagh Cup games. Pick of the bunch is the top-of-the-table clash between unbeaten Kerry and Laois in Tralee.
Laois boast an impressive 9-50 on the board from two games and should depart the Kingdom with two more points in the bag.
Dónal Óg Cusack was speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland
Watch the Munster Football Championship final, Kerry v Clare, and the Connacht Football Championship final, Galway v Mayo, on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
