The league ends this weekend and will be quickly forgotten about. Questions are often asked about how seriously a team should take the league. There is no answer. It depends on where you're coming from.
In 2004 with Kerry, we won a league final against Galway. For us it was a big part of building morale. A year later we lost out on the league and played a challenge against Kildare on league final weekend. We stayed in Citywest and some of our lads were coming in to the hotel on the Sunday morning after a night out in Dublin while Armagh were getting ready to leave the hotel. Somehow I think 2004 was more useful.
Donegal and Mayo have smart managers who know there are ghosts to be laid. Donegal have lost 12 finals since 1992. Mayo's need to win a big final in Croke Park is just as great.
Brian McIver is in his second year and there is a small window of opportunity for a manager building his reputation. You have to win in the first couple of seasons or there are questions. Win and you make sense to everybody.
John O'Mahony has done a remarkable job. I know how hard it is to bring a team back after All-Ireland defeat. They've won tight games, three by a point. That's a good sign. They looked dead against Cork and Dublin at half-time but won.
They've been missing players too. A league win won't harm John's election hopes either.
Donegal look strong, though. They played Kerry in Letterkenny and won by five. Impressive. We played them in Ballybofey two years ago and I liked them then too. They should have beaten Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final last year and they have improved since then. Kevin Cassidy has come into the middle, a good strong player. Michael Hegarty I rate very highly, although I think he's a 40 man. (Brendan ) Devenney and Rory Kavanagh have question marks over them for the weekend but they are good forwards. (Colm) McFadden is very good too.
It'll be tight. If Donegal are short Devenney and Kavanagh Mayo have a great chance. Otherwise Donegal could come good.
Does that sound like sitting on the fence? It is.
