A few short weeks ago, we were teeing up the most open title race in recent League of Ireland memory.
Dropped points by all the leading contenders over Easter gave the sense that no one quite had the upper hand.
The table looked bunched, the possibilities were compelling. Yet as we approach the halfway point of the season, Shamrock Rovers have begun to pull away with a ruthless calm that has turned the narrative in their favour.
There's a rhythm and relentlessness to their recent form that hasn’t just yielded points, it’s reasserted a dominance we have seen from them throughout the years.
The kind of dominance that forces you to ask whether the title race is already effectively over, even before the summer sun has fully arrived.
Over the Easter weekend, the title picture looked blurred. All the contenders flattered to deceive.
Rovers themselves weren’t yet fully clicking. But like everything, it’s about timing, and no one has timed their upswing better than Stephen Bradley’s side.
Since that round of stutters and stalemates, Rovers have done what champions do - they’ve gone on a run.
With key players like Jack Byrne and Graham Burke returning to full fitness, Rovers now resemble the side that has set the standard for years.
"The off-season arrival of Ed McGinty in goal has flown under the radar, but it shouldn't have."
When they’re humming, there’s a comfort and control in their play that no other team in the league can match.
They’ve won games without ever having to hit top gear. And now, it looks like they’re shifting into it.
Burke and Byrne’s performances has added creativity and a calmness in possession, but it’s not just about the attacking stars.
A stable defence has been just as vital. The off-season arrival of Ed McGinty in goal has flown under the radar, but it shouldn’t have. His presence has brought a composure and confidence to the back line that was occasionally missing last season.
With McGinty behind them, the defence is tighter, calmer, and significantly harder to break down.
That solidity has translated to real numbers. Rovers have conceded the fewest goals in the league, and they’ve done it without changing their style of play.
Their control of possession and positioning like we saw against Drogheda often means the threat never develops in the first place.
Depth is often spoken about in vague terms, but if you want a real-time example, just look at the substitutions Rovers made in their recent win over St Patrick’s Athletic.
Their introductions made in the second half were Trevor Clarke, Aaron Greene, Danny Mandroiu, Aaron McEneff and Dylan Watts - five players who’d start for almost any other team in the country.
Bradley’s squad rotation has been very effective. The fitness levels across the squad are peaking just at the right time, and with the European fixtures approaching, that bodes well both at home and abroad.
Rovers’ strong position is even more impressive considering the challenges of their off-season.
The departures of Daragh Burns, Neil Farrugia and Johnny Kenny, all players who offered pace and athleticism, could have left gaping holes.
McGinty was one part of the fix. The emergence of versatile squad players stepping up when called upon and the introduction of some young rising stars has done the rest.
And there's more to come. With the transfer window opening soon, expect further additions to complement an already stacked squad.
There’s a sense of regularity about this Shamrock Rovers rise. For all the talk of a wide-open league, it feels all too familiar now.
Rovers finding their stride, the chasing pack struggling to match their consistency.
What Rovers are doing now isn’t flashy, it’s efficient.
It’s the kind of form that wins titles, often quietly, often without fuss. And while there's still half a season to play, the momentum and the fear they inspire is already shifting things in their favour.
Rovers now head into the summer months with real belief.
Their focus will, of course, begin to shift toward European competition, where they’ll want to represent the league with the kind of conviction their domestic form is beginning to suggest.
If the rest of the league doesn’t find form fast, we may be talking about Shamrock Rovers regaining the league title early, not as a possibility, but an inevitability.
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
