Eoin Larkin says Kilkenny's league final romp will have no bearing on the championship.

The Cats go into the forthcoming championship as defending Leinster and All-Ireland champions and they are also league holders following Sunday's ruthless dismantling of Cork in Thurles.

Some might say we should just hand them the silverware now but captain Larkin - Man of the Match at the weekend - expects a touch battle when the summer season starts:

"No, no - championship is wide open. I don't think favourites come into it. Championship is always wide open and any team can beat any other team on any given day.

"We will have to go back and work hard and I'm sure Cork will be doing the same thing, going home and working hard and trying to get through to the All-Ireland series the same way as we will.

"We didn't really think about what people were saying. We were just concentrating on ourselves because we have had an up and down league and just wanted to get a performance for ourselves.

"We were lucky enough to get the couple of goals and get a bit of breathing space and then tagged on a couple of points in the second half to kill off the game.

"We are delighted to win and with the performance but the real deal starts in about seven weeks' time and we have to put a lot of hard work in for that. But we are delighted to be league champions." Tweet

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