What tactics will the chasing pack employ next spring?

I’ve already stuck a flag on the Ken Bruen (Galway) versus Raymond Chandler (Waterford) piece, so butt out. Find your own angle.

That’s a cautionary message ahead of the deluge of Tribe-Déise articles you can expect over the next couple of weeks. Before we settle into that maroon-white dreamland, though, what about the other counties? Where do they stand now their 2017 is done?

A first impression: the kids are alright, and all over the place. The concerted move towards youth is apparent despite — or because of — the premium now placed on serious strength and conditioning programmes in all counties. If they’re young enough, you pitch them in.