TOMÁS QUINN: Kildare get feedback with a bite

League games for Dublin at Croke Park have become the norm over the last few years, but being the “away” team must be a first.

While there are obvious commercial advantages for Kildare in moving the game to Croke Park and having an attendance of over 15,000, rather than the limited number of 6,000 at Newbridge, the final say would have been with Kieran McGeeney and his management team. Only last week Kildare overcame Kerry in a close encounter in a packed Newbridge, so why not bring Dublin down the M7 and out of their comfort zone?

The decision to play this game, and the league opener against Donegal, in Croke Park was taken to give this Kildare team an opportunity to measure themselves against the top teams in the same venue the business end of the championship will be played in.