It may only be the league but the intercounty show is well and truly back on the road. In many circles the league is frowned upon as a non event. However if looked at in closer detail the national leagues can provide a huge insight into the championship as well prove to be a stepping stone for teams.In Mickey Harte's excellent book, Kicking Down Heaven's Door, he identified the importance of winning the league. He viewed it as a means to proving Tyrone's credentials for the coming summer. Tyrone won the league that year. It instilled belief in his team that they could achieve further glory in the Championship and sure enough Peter Canavan lifted Sam Maguire in September.
Last season we saw another team use the league in the hope of creating a winning environment. Donegal successfully captured the Division Two crown. Again their season proved to be a huge success in terms of results recording their first Ulster championship triumph since 1992.
The previous year Down also reached the Division Two final. They may not have won but it still gave them a foundation to build on and they too would also go on to narrowly miss out on All-Ireland glory that year.
Indeed there is another telling statistic which strongly indicates the importance of the league. Since 2003 five teams have completed the league and championship double. Added to that in 2008 Kerry managed to reach both finals whilst even last year the eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin were thwarted narrowly by Cork in the final.
Effectively this means that since 2003 there have only been two years when at the very least a league finalist did not go on to reach the All-Ireland decider.
A similar comparison can also be made with regard to the hurling league. Yes Kilkenny are hugely a pivotal aspect of this comparison but it portrays just how seriously they take the league as well as the Championship.
Since 2001 Kilkenny completed the league and Championship double on four occasions whilst Tipperary also managed this feat in 2001. Once again like the football Kilkenny also lost league finals in 2007 and 2011 but still achieved All-Ireland glory later in those years. In 2009 Tipperary also navigated their way to both finals.
Other teams meanwhile can use the league to try out new players and implement systems. Managers can ease younger starlets into their teams rather than throw them in to the fray in a last minute effort in the heat of Championship. Dublin's glory last year didn't just magically manifest itself throughout the championship. It took time to install their high octane pressure game and the league was a perfect springboard to do that.
The league finals themselves have also proved to be exciting and enthralling affairs.
Last year's football final was a thrilling spectacle and provided Dublin with one final scar to carry with them to September. The hurling equivalent has also had epic tussles in both 2003 and 2009 between Tipperary and Kilkenny whilst the 2008 decider between the Premier county and Galway was also a titanic affair.
Undoubtedly the national leagues promise much this year. For some counties it won't offer much more than a chance to stretch the legs and test the skills. For others however it may well provide hope, inspiration or belief that future successes are on the horizon.
It might only be the league but it will certainly be worth keeping an eye on those teams who battle their way to the respective finals. There is a good chance you will see at least one of them again come September.
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