It has been an interesting start to this year's Allianz National Football League campaign in the top division.
Roscommon are certainly the surprise package, entering the season as a relegation favourites only to win their first three fixtures. Mayo have also had an impressive start, while All-Ireland champions Kerry are clearly still shaking off the rust after their exploits in 2022.
The league has become a more popular competition in recent years. It certainly features a more level playing field than you often see during the summer, while the introduction of the Tailteann Cup also means that it has an impact on the championship.
However, there are one or two issues that still need ironing out.
Lee Keegan says nobody wants to win NFL Division One
The league finals have been a topic of discussion for some time now, with many feeling that there are an added fixture in the calendar that many county would like to see the back of. With the semi-finals in the top division having been done away it in recent times, the decider in each division could go the same way in the near future with the condensed nature of the calendar as currently constructed.
For teams whose main goal is to compete for All-Irelands, they may not see the league as a priority.
Writing in his column for RTÉ, Mayo legend Lee Keegan has explained why this has resulted in a dynamic where Division One has become a competition that 'nobody wants to win':
Glancing at the table, it suggests we could be looking at a Roscommon-Mayo league final in early April. But you've got to ask the question - would either team want that seven days out from their Connacht championship opener in Castlebar?
If we do wind up with a Mayo-Roscommon league final - seven days before they collide in the championship in Castlebar (9 April) - it would just be a dummy game really. A complete dead rubber of a league final.
I think Colm Boyle nailed it when he said it's a league that nobody wants to win. That's the sad reality of it.
It's the clear consensus among all the managers that their priority is safety. Once that's assured, they aren't especially concerned about the league and thoughts turn to championship coming fast down the tracks.
Maybe if there was a three-week gap between the league and championship, players might be more minded to go full-tilt at a league final. Would such a gap have big ramifications for the club season? I don't think so.
A seven day gap between a final league game and the start of championship is certainly far from ideal, especially when you consider how few weekends teams will have had off up to that point in the season.
At this point, it seems inevitable that the league will remove the finals and crown the winner based on the table alone.
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