Ciaran Burke could clearly recognise the ups and downs from Offaly's recent Division 1B final loss to Waterford, but he feels the most important thing now is that they learn from both the positives and negatives.
The two teams met in the decider in Cork a fortnight ago and at one stage Waterford led by 15 points.
The plus side is that Offaly burst into life once they got their bearings and hit 1-08 in just 11 minutes.
In the end they lost by four. Respectability restored but still that needling feeling that they switched off early on.
"I think the league was all about that learning curve," Burke told RTÉ Sport.
"Playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh was an invaluable experience for us, just to play in front of big crowds again. A lot of us are not used to that so it was great to get that experience.
"But as we face into the Leinster championship now it is all about consistency for us. We cannot allow ourselves not to perform for 45 minutes in a game.
"We have to try to be consistent and go out and enjoy being back in the Leinster Championship for the first time since 2018. We are playing top teams who have the experience. In recent years, Waterford played in an All-Ireland final and we'll face that again in the coming weeks. We are different; we are learning on the job but it’s a great place to be."
First up in Leinster is a trip to Parnell Park to play Dublin on Saturday.
To close the gap between themselves and teams who have been operating at a higher level in the past few years they will have to stall opposition momentum at times, get their own shape on the field right, make timely runs in attack and register scores amid intense defensive pressure.
Against Waterford they struggled on their own puckout for large stages of the first half, and then early into the second.
When they rallied it was too late, but yet they are heartened by that plucky response.
"I think the lads showed great character and we got a way back into it," he adds.
"We nearly got them back to around three points at one point. So that’s the stuff we will be leaning on into the next few weeks, that morale and resilience.
"But all the same we can’t be giving teams periods like that (when Waterford tacked on a big lead)."
There is an undoubted feelgood factor around the country.
Leo O’Connor has worked hard to develop great young teams since Covid times.
An All-Ireland final was lost at minor level, but won at Under-20 level. Wins have been forthcoming at senior level in both the Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh cups.
Promotion to Division 1A has been secured for 2026.
Elsewhere the footballers have won promotion to Division 2, landing a league title in the process, whilst the Offaly camogie team seized the Division 2A title last Sunday.
"We feed off the energy around the county," Burke says.
"We try to bring that into the championship and use it as energy to perform.
"When we look over at the sideline we see a great management team also. Johnny Kelly is a genius and when the likes of Brendan Maher and Seamie Callanan talk you listen to what they say."
Now in his 15th season, the Ballinmere man looks back at the strides the county has taken since he started.
"Brilliant," he says.
"Even playing the league final was worth around three training sessions.
"We are making good strides. The years have passed quickly and when I started off, I think that, physically, I was way off.
"I work extra hard and so have the lads but every year we are adding to it and we’ll look to develop again this year. The game is about pace, strength, skill and power to compete and to be a top class team you need to be working away on all that."
Watch Kilkenny v Galway in the Leinster Hurling Championship on Saturday from 3.15pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Clare v Cork in the Munster Hurling Championship on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
