Up the Dubs! Yes this is hurling I am talking about and what a start they had had to their national league campaign. They drew with Kilkenny, and then went on to beat Galway and Limerick. Their final two games against Antrim and Tipperary were disappointing, but injuries and increased expectation played their part. The question we are asking is - is this the real thing or just a flash in the pan? For me, I hope it is the real deal and progress is now been made at long last. I have said in this column numerous times in the past that hurling needs a good strong and vibrant Dublin set up and that Dublin needs hurling also. Success at underage level over the last number of years has now begun to pay off and while it is still early days yet, the potential shown by this group of players hastens me to say that a major breakthrough is not far away in championships circles. I know people will suggest that it is only the national league, the opposition were not at full strength and perhaps the Dubs caught them off guard, but I do not subscribe to that theory. You may ask why and the answers are obvious. Number one, the Cats hate no winning and have you ever seen a weak Kilkenny team in any grade? Brian Cody has the utmost respect for Dublin and admitted as much, so he knows he would be doing nobody and particularly hurling any good by fielding a so called weaker team just to give Dublin a chance. Likewise Ger Loughnane in his first year as Galway manager has admitted he wants to win every game he plays, no matter whether it is a challenge, league or championship. He has set his stall out very clearly and you could sense by his reaction after the game in Parnell Park that he was not a happy person. By keeping his players in the dressing room for an hour afterwards is a clear indication of how upset he was. I would have loved to be a fly on that wall! How the Tribesmen reacted to those criticisms and poor performance was very evident against Tipperary, where they showed a huge hunger and desire for victory. Just when everybody thought that this level of performance could not be repeated again by Dublin and particularly outside of the Pale, they go on and beat Limerick in their own backyard and now everyone is sitting up and taking notice. The players deserve great credit this far but must not rest on their laurels now and think all the hard work is done - there is still a long road ahead of them. They must take it one step at a time now and take each game as it comes. Retaining their status in Division 1 has to be a priority and competing successfully at U21 level would be a nice bonus also. The talent is there now at senior level, so what needs to happen is to make sure that there is sufficient back up through all underage teams. You only have to look at the graduation programme the Cork's, Tipp's and Kilkenny's of this world have - you earn your stripes at minor and U21 level and then it is a natural progression up to senior ranks. The game of the league campaign so far If the Galway against Tipperary league match is anything to by, one would have to eagerly awaiting these two teams meeting again in the championship, where a winner takes all situation exists. The intensity of this game was so high, it was like a championship game and anyone who went to the game or watched in on television would have to been impressed by the standard on display. Scoring 3-13 in any match is a massive return and should be enough to win most games but that was not the case this time as Galway notched a huge tally of 26 points. The game was well publicized, with Babs Keating and Ger Loughnane in opposite corners adding to the hype. Fortunately, there was no anti climax as the match certainly lived up to its billing. From the throw in Tipperary were much quicker out of the blocks and took the game to Galway in their own back yard. However, spurred on by the defeat to Dublin, Galway responded in some style and proceeded to score from nearly any angles and made serious inroads to Tipp's early lead. Hurling is now a game of skill and speed and the major talking point was the placing of star corner forward Damien Hayes at midfield. It was an inspired move and there is obviously enough forward talent up front to warrant this move. It follows in the footsteps of Kilkenny and Cork when they placed Cha Fitzpatrick and Gerry O'Connor at midfield. What a difference it made to Galway as his pace, skill and point scoring ability were seen at its best. It is hard not to see him featuring there during the championship. 0-26 points is a great return but I am sure Ger Loughnane will not be too happy with his defence conceding three goals. If they are to have a say in the destination of the Liam McCarthy Cup then this old failing of Galway will have to be rectified. Derek Hardiman needs a lot more games at full back but has the hurling and more importantly the mental toughness to make this a position of his own. Finding two corner backs of similar quality might not be as easy. There is no point trying to close the barn door when the horse has already bolted, Galway will simply have to stop conceding goals! On a brighter note for Galway was the performance at number 6 of John Lee. I have watched this player coming through the ranks from minor level where he excelled and at the time I said he was one for the future - and he is certainly delivering on that promise. The best performers in any team will come from centre back - look at John Tennyson, Ronan Curran, Ken McGrath or Seanie McMahon and how influential they have been over the last few years. They have become natural born leaders and I stated in the past couple of weeks that Galway have yet to produce a player of the same quality. Maybe there is one on the horizon named John Lee. Congratulations to Ballyhale Shamrocks The All-Ireland club final it shows the strength of club hurling and what it means to the small villages of Ireland to compete at this level on Patrick's Day. Loughrea are a good team and I am sure they will have their day but you cannot take away from the Shamrocks and the quality of young hurlers they are producing. It is good news for Brian Cody and Kilkenny but perhaps bad news for us all in other parts of the country. Tweet

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