John Horgan on hurling: Make no mistake, Limerick will be the team to beat this summer
Tommy O'Connell of Cork is tackled by Kyle Hayes of Limerick last summer. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
You just don't know with the league and how the leading counties are approaching it.
There is a perception that when two counties who have a much bigger date in their diary when the championship flag is unfurled meet up in the secondary competition, the winning team in that game may have gained some sort of a psychological edge.
That may or may not be the case and most intercounty managers will be at pains to stress that a league game in February, whatever the outcome or the victory margin is will have very little relevance when those same to counties collide in April or May and further on.
And that is probably the correct assessment.
Maybe on some occasions if the league game turns out to be a cracking affair, both side going at it hammer and tongs and tempers fraying, the outcome might subsequently be of some relevance in the championship.
A few scores might have to be settled, one team or the other will be more determined to set the record straight.
Then there is the thinking that when counties have that championship date in their focus they might not want to show their full hand in the league, a bit of shadow boxing at play.
The meeting of Tipperary and Limerick in Thurles last Saturday night was eagerly looked forward to by many inside both counties and outside as well.
On the hurling front, it was perceived to be the standout game of the weekend, close neighbours with an age-old rivalry wanting to put down a sort of early marker.
It was Tipp's first game of real significance on home soil since last July's All-Ireland triumph and over 15,000 souls were in the old ground for the throw-in.
It was a very damp night in Semple Stadium. And as events transpired, the game was very much a damp squib too.
It could be said that the contest had run its course by half-time when Limerick led by 0-20 to 0-7.
In that opening 35 minutes Limerick's performance was a joy to behold, a reminder of what they were in their four-in-a-row years, their short play, their long play and their score-taking, particularly the variety of it was the best we have witnessed from any side thus far in the secondary competition.
Yes, there were notable absentees that Liam Cahill had to deal with, players like Ronan Maher, John McGrath, Jason Forde among them, but on the Limerick bench, you had Diarmaid Byrnes, Tom Morrissey and David Reidy with Barry Nash and Cian Lynch absent as well.
But one of Limerick's great strengths in their epic journey through Munster and subsequently in Croke Park a few years ago was the depth of their panel, the ability to replace like with like.
And last Saturday night you had players who did not feature at all in those glittering years, Shane O'Brien, Aidan O'Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, off the bench, and Colin Coughlan, to name just four who were hugely conspicuous, O'Connor and O'Brien sharing 17 points between them.
Against Kilkenny, O'Connor was Man of the Match. Same again here.
Kyle Hayes returned to the fray at wing-back and you had Peter Casey shooting the lights out with four points from play.
League or not, Liam Cahill must have been concerned with how desperately poor his players were in the opening half and given how paltry their return has been in recent years against their Shannonside opponents, one would have expected far better than it was.
In the past, we have seen big leads wiped out in hurling and if Darragh McCarthy had delivered from a penalty just before the interval, there might have been more to cling to.
However, any hopes of a great reawakening evaporated into the dark night sky over Semple Stadium when Willie Connors received a straight red less than a minute after the resumption.
To be fair, Tipp were better in the second half, mainly due to the influential presence of veteran Noel McGrath, who rifled over six points after his half-time introduction. If somehow, Tipp had staged a remarkable comeback, he would have received the Man of the Match accolade.
Many might have expected the great man to call it a day in the aftermath of last season's title triumph but one is certain now, on the evidence that he presented here, they are glad he didn't.
It just goes to show that age is just a number for players like him and for Seamie Harnedy in Cork, TJ Reid in Kilkenny, John Conlon in Clare and many others too. Age does not define capability, potential or mindset.
No doubt, the Cork management had a good look at the proceedings last Saturday night and with Limerick second next in line for Ben O'Connor's men their efficiency will have been noted.
Limerick have Offaly up next at the weekend, a game they will be confidently expected to win which would put them on six points and with Cork already on six, the Gaelic Grounds collision will be of great significance in determining who will top the table and who will finish second.
We are always at pains to stress that reading a whole pile into league games on a dank February night can leave one with a lot of egg on the face come the championship but you had to be impressed with Limerick's approach.
Their appetite and intensity was evident from the outset and similar to Cork, the competition for championship starting places continues to intensify.
Right now, both counties appear to have, by far, the strongest panels that exist in both provinces.
Limerick might have reason to target the league that bit more than others as they have a three-week break between the final of that competition and their opening involvement in Munster. Cork, Tipp, Clare and Waterford have just a fortnight.
The second half in Thurles was never going to be anything other than a continuation of Limerick's first-half dominance once Tipp went a man down.
On numerous occasions since Limerick lost to Dublin in last season's All-Ireland quarter-final, we have listened to people declaring that one of the greatest teams of all time, if not the greatest, are on a downward trajectory.
In this observer's opinion, that's balderdash. Again, not getting carried away with a league result in February, they showed it's a near certainty with the depth of their panel they'll be in Croke Park later in the year.
Both counties are exhibiting serious early-season intent, the top two in the pecking order halfway through the secondary competition.
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