Although debate will continue as to the tangible merits of the revised championship system, with a few persistent moans about the lost values of the knockout system, reactionaries are thin on the ground around Wicklow this week.

"It is almost July now and here we are preparing to host one of the top three teams around in the championship. Comparing that to a first-round draw against Meath, where if you lose, that's it for another year, well it's fantastic," enthuses Wicklow manager Moses Coffey.

This is one of the first ties of the new qualifying rounds to capture the imagination, with elements of novelty and romance about a match that will take place in quaint surrounds.

That only 5,000 people will gain access to the tiny Aughrim venue has been the source of some controversy, given the enthusiasm this game has inspired around the host county and given the large travelling support that Galway command.

"Certainly, there will be a terrific atmosphere there and you can be sure that there will be a sizeable Galway contingent present also. The home venue gives us an advantage but the fact is that Aughrim is a lovely pitch to play on, it is wider than people realise and will actually suit a football side like Galway."

But it is a step into the unknown for last year's All-Ireland finalists who have spent the last three weeks re-assessing their championship path.

"We went through the ringer after the Roscommon defeat," admitted Galway's John O'Mahony.

"No-one goes out with the intention of using the back door system but it is there and we will use it. We have had a bit of time to assess the situation and this is not going to be an easy game., travelling to Wicklow. We are hoping that we get our form right again because it will need to be.

Coffey is approaching this match with a sense of happy realism. The visitors, he knows, should win, and handsomely.

"They have such a strong panel, players of the calibre of Pauric Joyce, Michael Donnellan and Ja Fallon who are the best in the game. But you know, I have backed certain losers in football matches before and strange things can happen." He fewels, however, that the Roscommon defeat will have no bearing on the Galway outfit that lines out on Saturday and is also reluctant to dwell on Galway's concession of goals in both their last championship outings.

"I wouldn't read a whole lot into it. Rosscommon played exceptionally well against Galway but I think that if the teams met again, we might see a very different Galway. And there is a genuine concern that because of that result, we might suffer something of a backlash."

It is a strange situation, given the almost euphoric expectation around Wicklow about a match that virtually everyone expects them to lose.

"It's just something new. The fact that the teams have not met in the championship makes it special and Galway are such a high profile team, they create that buzz.

"I mean, we are fully aware of how difficult the fixture is, but getting a succession of games means that myself and Mick Murtagh and Johnny Dooley do have a realistic chances to build a team for next season."

Coffey acknowledges that, ultimately, the qualifying formula will probably serve to extend the shelf life of the stronger counties. But, he argues, it also brings the smaller teams along.

"I think it is working, absolutely. What was clear is that the old system did nothing to further the so-called weaker counties and the same teams regularly featured in the provincial finals.

"This gives counties the chance to pit themselves against the best and also to get a few matches under their belt., It is no longer all down to the pressure of one afternoon."

But on Saturday, Wicklow's season will end unless they manage something spectacular.

"It's a daunting task but one we are looking forward to. This is what makes the winter preparation worthwhile and hopefully it will encourage more young players to believe that we are moving forward here."