Team-by-team guide:
ANTRIM
Manager: Terence McNaughton
Last NHL title: None (Division Two winners 2003).
2006 NHL: Fifth in Division One B
2006 SHC: Ulster champions and Christy Ring Cup winners. Didn't compete in All-Ireland.
2007 NHL: Having done well in the past three seasons to maintain their status in the top flight, Antrim now face an uphill struggle with reconstruction on the way at the end of the season. They will need to get ahead of two counties in this division to earn a place in next year's Division One, given the tight odds on the ninth place going to the fifth county in Division One B.
Having Dublin at home is a help, but the only other fixture in Casement is the visit of Kilkenny - unlikely to be significantly influenced by the venue. The involvement of Terence McNaughton and Dominic McKinley has the potential to bring the best out of the playing panel, but the old competitive disadvantages remain, compounded by the county's disappearance from the MacCarthy Cup last summer.
The immediate goal is to be competitive and sort out the central positions.
CLARE
Manager: Tony Considine
Last NHL title: 1978
2006 NHL: First in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Beaten Munster semi-finals, beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists.
2007 NHL: There is increasing evidence to suggest that Davy Fitzgerald's standoff with Tony Considine is only a part of the problem brewing within the county's hurling set-up. The loss of team trainer Dave Mahedy couldn't have come at a worse time, whatever the reasons for it, and Considine clearly has a major task on his hands to keep everyone else on his side over the coming months, including, it seems, the county board.
He has announced a 33-man league panel, which as expected excluded Fitzgerald, but sees another veteran Frank Lohan taking over the captaincy. Corofin's Gerry Quinn is vice captain and there's still some good hurling left in the likes of Niall Gilligan and Colin Lynch, if Considine manages to draw it out.
Clare had a good league run last year, despite another controversy at the time surrounding their physio Colum Flynn and injury specialist Ger Hartmann and the opening game against Down guarantees another good start here - and yet this year's controversy has a greater threat of coming back to haunt them down the road.
CORK
Manager: Gerald McCarthy
Last NHL title: 1998
2006 NHL: Fourth in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Munster champions, beaten All-Ireland finalists.
2007 NHL: Cork's league form in recent years has at least been very consistent in the sense of being very unspectacular. While they haven't come close to making the play-off stages they were still able to turn it on come the championship, although it's more likely that new manager Gerald McCarthy will want a better run this year, and at least make the quarter-finals.
The key, McCarthy has admitted, is to unearth two or three new players to add to Cork's wealth of experience, and particularly in the forward line.
Two of those are named for the first game, Patrick Cronin of Bishopstown and Eoghan Murphy of Erin's Own, while the experiment of playing Diarmuid O'Sullivan at full forward could yet prove highly productive.
Brian Corcoran is the only significant loss from last year through retirement, although 2006 captain Pat Mulcahy has yet to return to the county panel.
With Seán Óg Ó hAilpín on board from the beginning there is plenty to suggest Cork will make a more telling impact on the league this year.
DOWN
Manager: Gerard Coulter
Last NHL title: Division Two title 2004.
2006 NHL: Sixth in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Beaten Ulster semi-finalists.
2007 NHL: As expected, new manager Gerard Coulter, who has taken over from Seán Farrell, has scoured the county in recent months in an effort to unearth some new talent, but no matter who or what he's managed to find, the reality is Down will be punching well above their weight throughout this league campaign.
It was something of a surprise that they survived in the top flight for another year, beating favourites Laois in the relegation play-off, 2-16 to 0-19, but that didn't exactly transfer to their summer form when they were hammered by Antrim in the Ulster semi-final, 2-23 to 0-12.
Clearly the county needs to undergo a major rebuilding phase and the truth is Division One of the league is not the place to do it.
Down lost all five games in the regular phase of the league last year and, unfortunately for them, there is nothing to suggest they can improve on that record this year.
DUBLIN
Manager: Tommy Naughton
Last NHL title: 1939 (Division Two winners 2006).
2006 NHL: First in Division Two A. Divisional winners.
2006 SHC: Leinster quarter-finalists and All-Ireland qualifiers.
2007 NHL: Same as applies to Antrim. Except the fixtures' schedule hasn't fallen kindly with the likely deal-breaker matches against the Ulster champions away. The signs of life at under-age level should be starting to register at senior, but the unstanched haemorrhage of talent to the footballers continues to be the biggest burden the team carries, as even a cursory glance at the Paul Caffrey's team indicates.
Nonetheless, there is an emerging amalgam of quality and experience with a promising defence requiring the development of an edgier front eight.
Team desperately needs a big result to build the confidence to start competing in and benefiting from top-level opponents.
GALWAY
Manager: Ger Loughnane
Last NHL title: 2004
2006 NHL: Fourth in Division One B.
2006 SHC: All-Ireland quarter-finalists.
2007 NHL: Interesting that Loughnane, who in Clare generally treated the league as a pastime, takes over a county where progress in the competition has generally been prized. The age-old puzzle remains - what to do with the wide pool of serviceable talent in Galway.
Loughnane's preparations will be thorough and he will prioritise a strong mental attitude amongst the players ahead of pure technical merit. Already there have been changes with the return of familiar faces and a bit of positional experimentation. The loss of the Cannings is a salutary reminder that, unlike in Clare, not everything will necessarily tuck in behind him.
This is a pressurised position because Galway have only one criterion for success, winning an All-Ireland - for all that it hasn't happened for nearly 20 years. Despite that, the county are seen as the most likely challengers to Kilkenny, but they need to find consistency and staring power.
KILKENNY
Manager: Brian Cody
Last NHL title: Holders
2006 NHL: First in Division One A and winners.
2006 SHC: Leinster champions and All-Ireland champions.
2007 NHL: There's not an awful lot to agonise over with 2006's best team. Under-age success has resulted in more custom-built hurlers than has been the experience in Galway with serious talent emerging in a range of positions.
The shrewdly picked and incremental introduction of that talent helped galvanise the team last year, while the established names continue to play to the highest performance levels. They will have to do without Ballyhale's players of the year in the four weeks ahead, but, with so many plausible understudies to blood, the main concern will be that Henry Shefflin and James Fitzpatrick don't suffer the post-club lethargy that can afflict players who find themselves lapping the calendar.
There is likely to be some scrutiny on defence given the unusual statistic - for an All-Ireland winning Kilkenny team - of having conceded more goals than they scored last summer.
Still, far and away the team to beat.
LIMERICK
Manager: Richie Bennis
Last NHL title: 1997
2006 NHL: Second in Division One B and finalists.
2006 SHC: Munster quarter-finalists and All-Ireland quarter-finalists.
2007 NHL: There has to be some apprehension in the county about the season ahead. On the one hand things could hardly get worse than they were in 2006 when, despite a most creditable NHL campaign, the championship went down the drain with only the limited consolation of a defiant gurgle against Cork. So does Richie Bennis orchestrate a push in the league? Or concentrate on sifting what's available and train his focus on the championship?
With the players available, there's no cause for Limerick not to escape the depths they recently plumbed.
Peter Lawlor returns and there is a sense that everything's at least pointing in the right direction. Plenty of room for improvement, but the shadow of under-achievement continues to hover.
OFFALY
Manager: John McIntyre
Last NHL title: 1991 (Division Two title 2005).
2006 NHL: Second in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Beaten Leinster semi-finalists.
2007 NHL: Confirmation of Brian Whelahan's retirement at the age of 35 - plus the fact that none of the famous Whelahan family are currently part of the panel - highlight the reality that Offaly hurling is still undergoing a major transition period.
Manager John McIntyre certainly recognises this and as a result has introduced a significant number of under-21 players into his senior panel, or as he describes himself "gone all radical" in an effort to freshen things up.
There were definitely hints of potential in last year's league, however, when Offaly recorded several good victories and ended up making the play-offs.
Among the players discovered there were new full back Paul Cleary and full forward Joe Bergin and if a couple more players of that calibre are uncovered in the weeks ahead there is no reason why Offaly can't repeat that feat and again make the play-offs.
TIPPERARY
Manager: Michael Keating
Last NHL title: 2001
2006 NHL: Third in Division One B and semi-finalists.
2006 SHC: Munster finalists and All-Ireland quarter-finalists.
2007 NHL: Although last year felt like an improvement - successful introduction of new players and competitive championship outings - but the end result didn't move things on significantly.
Now with a year under his belt and a clearer idea of what's available as well as good under-age displays, Babs Keating will have a platform to build on. Finding forward support for Eoin Kelly is an obvious task and hoping that Conor O'Mahoney (solid at centre back) and Shane McGrath (better than that in the middle) don't have problem second seasons.
The recent win over Cork made for a good start to the year but the real work starts now.
WATERFORD
Manager: Justin McCarthy
Last NHL title: 1997
2006 NHL: Third in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Beaten Munster semi-finalists, beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists.
2007 NHL: It's probably not the first time that Justin McCarthy realises that Waterford have to make that big breakthrough this year, or else it's probably not going to happen under his tenure. Their league form last year was very erratic and ended on a particularly low point in the play-offs, and yet they famously came within a point of toppling Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final.
McCarthy still has one of the most talented panels in the country, if they could only all click on the same day. This league will be partly about uncovering the extra player or two, but McCarthy also knows he has the personnel to win an All-Ireland.
For that reason Waterford aren't expected to set this league on fire, nor would they really want to. Several key players will be missing for the early rounds including Eoin Murphy, Tony Browne, Dave Bennett and Paul Flynn but now more than ever Waterford need to use this league as a steadying and confidence building process before going all out in the championship.
WEXFORD
Manager: John Meyler
Last NHL title: 2001
2006 NHL: Fifth in Division One A.
2006 SHC: Beaten Leinster finalists, beaten All-Ireland quarter-finalists.
2007 NHL: After a very poor league run a year ago the onus is now on new manager John Meyler to regain a little more consistency in Wexford hurling.
The former Wexford and Cork hurler hasn't wasted any time and one of the first things he did was sit down with selectors Jim Byrne, Nick Byrne and Willie Sunderland and develop a long-term strategy.
Pre-season training has also gone well, and with defender David "Doc" O'Connor back on board after some travels they look well poised for a good start and a better run than 2006. Wexford still boast some of the most exciting forwards in the game, and the Jacob brothers Rory and Michael are showing fine form at the moment. There are also big expectations this year from in-form captain Robbie Codd, who starts at full forward for the opening game.
