Shane McGrath believes double champions Clare have bigger fish to fry this year than defending their league title, especially given that they are counting the cost of injury after the round one defeat to Kilkenny.
"I think the risk is greater than the reward for the likes of Clare to get to a league final," the former Tipperary star said on the RTÉ GAA podcast. "You’re going to be out again in two weeks’ time [in Munster].
"They have their league medals. Their mountain to climb now as a group is a Munster championship. It’s mad to think that these guys [the 2013 survivors] have two All-Ireland medals and no Munster.
"Yesterday, Brian Lohan lost his full-back Conor Leen and his centre-back David McInerney so I’d say the league final is the last thing on his mind. I’d say he’s thinking about having time now to regroup [before Galway on 8 February]."
Clare built an early lead in Ennis, going 0-09 to 0-02 in front midway through the first half, but the Cats changed tack and eventually overhauled the hosts, twice, to win 0-23 to 0-21.
"I really admired the way that Kilkenny totally changed their structure," said McGrath. "The way they dropped their whole half-forward line deep... it changed the game.
"They knew hitting the ball in long wasn’t working for them, maybe because of the weather. Mossy Keoghan had an immense game then.
"It was a great win for Kilkenny. I know that clapping out the All-Ireland champions is not a nice feeling when you’ve lost to them the year before, and the way they lost to them in the semi-final. It’s early days but it had to motivate them and they got the job done."
One week into the new-look Division 1A format and the two-time All-Star is a fan.
"Now that we have two up, two down, there is real jeopardy," he said.
"It’s a real prelim for the championship. It’s five, six competitive games and if you lose your first game you’re to be in serious trouble. That’s the way it’s going to be in the Leinster and Munster championship.
"Whoever lost between Tipp and Galway yesterday, it was going to be tough going.
"Next week, Galway have to go to Kilkenny and the following week they have to play Clare.
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"Micheál [Donoghue] has made it very clear, this is a transition period for them. They had a lot of new guys yesterday and it will take time. But you might not get too much time, if you lose your second game, you could be looking at relegation straight away.
"That’s the way the league should be. Competitive and something to play for all the time, for most [teams] right up to the last day."
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