League does matter now

Love the way that people are saying this week that league form doesn't matter.
Of course it is losers in the league who are protesting that league form doesn't mean anything.
Players and mentors from Antrim, Wicklow and Roscommon have all said in the last 24 hours that the league is meaningless.
I beg to differ and so do the statistics in recent years.
There was indeed a time when the league was no guarantee of success at inter county championship level, back in the day when at least three rounds of the hurling and football championship started pre Christmas right after the All-Ireland series was over.
However, since the league has been played off in the same calendar year as the championship it has increasingly become a barometer of the form of the top sides when the championship starts.
The league semi finalists are increasingly to be found in the latter stages of the championship.
Already in this decade Kerry sides and Tyrone won league titles before going on to All-Ireland success and even this year can anyone deny that Kerry and Derry will be in the final shake up and can anyone even conceive that a winner of the Liam McCarthy won't come out of this year's hurling semi finalists of Kilkenny, Cork, Galway and Tipperary?
As for Antrim, they might just manage to beat Cavan but that's as good as it will get and even then I can't see them beat the Breffni men.
Roscommon? Forget it they are as bad as their relegation suggested.
Wicklow, only the Micko factor and the fact that Kildare are struggling suggests that they are in with a chance of even one victory.
These days if you can't cut it in the league then you are going nowhere.

League final latest victim of TV schedules

The National League final has become the latest casualty of the TV schedulers with a 2.15pm throw-in for the Division One decider between Kerry and Derry.
This early start isn't actually too bad but the earlier start of 12.30 for the Division 3 decider at Parnell Park between Wexford and Fermanagh is tough on the supporters of the two sides.
Both sets of fans have around a two-hour trip to the match and the timing of the fixture does put the 'importance' of the game in context because at the end of the day it is a meaningless game as no one will ever remember the year Fermanagh or Wexford played in the Division 3 final.
I find the Divisional play-offs an utter nonsense unless it involves a promotion issue.
For Wexford it will be a reminder that only three to four years ago, told you I can't even remember what year it was despite being at the game, they were in the league final with Armagh, quite a come down.
So despite my reservations about the GAA switching the times of its games to suit the TV stations, I think that the decision in this case is entirely sensible.
Many GAA people will want to see how Munster fare in the European semi final and I think the decision to bring the league finals forward is recognition that we are an integral part of Irish sporting life but we are not an island.
I would be watching the league final regardless but I will now enjoy I hope the Munster game while we are at it.