League badly needs Harte to treat final seriously and take on dominant Dubs

Damp, miserable, and largely forgettable – three words that can sum up both the weather and the National Football League over the past few months. Perhaps I’m just a narky and blinkered Monaghan supporter, forced to endure one too many defeats in a season that feels like it hasn’t properly started yet.

Or maybe I’m just echoing the sentiments of many like me, who have had little to get excited about aside from the odd glimpse of magic from one of the ‘Three Cs’ – Canavan, Clifford and Con.

In truth, there were only a handful of entertaining games throughout the top tier of the league this year. The high point of which was on opening night when Monaghan, amazingly in hindsight, defeated Dublin with a last-minute winner.

Kerry’s home games against Mayo and Derry were other notable contests; otherwise, it was all very average fare. The absence of any final-day drama deflated what is normally an exciting weekend in the GAA calendar.

Final-day fixtures played at little more than challenge-match intensity are not what we have come to expect or enjoy from the league over the years.

In Clones yesterday, Mayo and Monaghan played out an error-strewn contest that summarised both teams’ league campaigns.

For Monaghan, that meant injuries, ill-discipline, and the concession of soft goals, albeit sprinkled with glimpses of their characteristic work-rate and hard running. For Mayo, they again proved they have plenty of athleticism across the park, albeit with no sign of improved attacking play that would convince even the most ardent Mayo supporter that an All-Ireland title is a realistic ambition.

Elsewhere, Dublin brushed aside a disinterested Tyrone side and continue to look depressingly detached from the chasing pack. I use the word “depressingly” not to slight Dublin but to point to the worrying ly predictable vista of this year’ s All-Ireland SFC.

Monaghan’s dramatic opening-night victory against Dublin in Croke Park feels almost like an apparition looking back, such has been the divergent paths of both teams since. Now short odds to retain Sam Maguire, Dessie Farrell’s players have found a second wind and look back to their unbeatable best during the Jim Gavin era.

For those of us who thought last year was just one big final push for a group of players who felt the need to prove themselves one last time, we were badly wrong.

Brian Fenton, Ciarán Kilkenny, Stehen Cluxton, and Co are back to dominate Croke Park again, until such time someone else can send them packing up Jones’s Road.

On a positive note, this year’s league has given hope to a few other emerging counties that they can compete come summer.

Down have taken a leaf out of Derry’s book by getting their internal house in

order and will be a welcome and addition of tradition to the Sam Maguire race.

Louth cemented their place as the second best team in Leinster, maintaining the progress made under Mickey Harte.

Cork have inched forward and will be hoping they can compete with Kerry in their likely Munster semi-final.

Armagh and Donegal are the most intriguing of all this year’s emerging teams. How close are they to genuinely competing for top honours? Hopefully, both sides go to Dublin this weekend for their Division 2 final with the intent to win and make a mark on Croke Park ahead of potentially high-stake visits in the summer.

The more counties that put their head up to take a swipe at Dublin, the better it is for the championship as a whole.

With such a small window now to captivate the country, the football championship needs to feel like it is more than a one-horse race. Otherwise, Dublin will have it won and be home again before anyone cares to pay attention.

Der ry have the opportunity this weekend to begin challenging that growing narrative. Their reward for a stellar league campaign is a Croke Park showdown with Dublin and the chance to turn the heat up on what has been a largely tepid league to date.

Should Harte go all out to secure a Division 1 title, and in doing so lay down a sizeable marker ahead of the summer, we could be in for a thrilling final between the two best teams in the country at present.

Dublin will do what Dublin do and aim to beat whatever is in front of them, so it will be up to Derry to determine the rules of engagement.

However, if Derry’s focus is distracted by Donegal in Celtic Park three weeks later, another anti-climax awaits. I am going to take the chance on the former and head to Croke Park on Sunday for what will hopefully be an entertaining day. And Fe ntonvC on or Glass, the head to-head battle we all want to see.

Please, Mickey, give us the league final the GAA season badly needs.