The shadow-boxing is ongoing but we're finally seeing the real Galway stand up.
Watching the game in Salthill last Saturday was a jolting reminder of how a team's fortunes can change so quickly.
Here was a sense of two teams travelling in opposite directions. That euphoric Connacht final win could be the spark that has ignited Galway's season. In contrast, the sucker punch that Derry took in the Jim McGuinness-orchestrated ambush in Celtic Park appears to have rocked their confidence and disturbed their momentum. All of a sudden, Galway look like they're ahead of Derry in the pecking order.
We all anticipated that Derry would be refreshed after the five-week break and would roar out of the traps, similar to Mayo in Killarney 12 months ago. Instead, their performance raised more doubts and questions about where their summer is headed.
Obviously, Gareth McKinless' bizarre moment of madness had a massive impact on the game. It's already attracted plenty of comment, and Pádraic Joyce was fairly strident in his post-match comments, understandably so. Suffice to say, it was a bad, bad act and really quite hard to fathom. I don't know if it was borne of frustration but it had big ramifications on a couple of fronts.
He's a bit of a loose cannon on the pitch and is great to watch, I would rate him really highly as a player. But his madness crossed the line last Sunday. That type of ill-discipline is a bad sign, in general.
Galway punished them well and looked really slick and assured for the rest of the game. Paul Conroy again proved that age is just a number. His first big win over Derry was in the minor final in 2007 and he scored the winner as a 19-year-old in the Connacht final against Mayo in 2008 - a few years before my own championship debut.
With the help of John Maher, he completely bossed the lauded Derry midfield last weekend - three points, 44 possessions. Matthew Tierney, who was out of action between the Tyrone league game and the Connacht final, was excellent throughout and seized on that loose short kick-out that set up the first goal.
They're a funny bunch, Galway. They can blow very hot or very cold. Despite our closeness, I always struggled to figure out their psyche but they are a massive momentum team
Add to that, Shane Walsh is beginning to motor again, and Galway could be back to the team that went all the way to the 2022 All-Ireland final.
They're a funny bunch, Galway. They can blow very hot or very cold. Despite our closeness, I always struggled to figure out their psyche but they are a massive momentum team.
When they hit a stale patch, they can be pretty ponderous and the crowds tend to disappear. But when they get rolling and things start to click, they're a team who can take off. They're capable of anything. And the signs are they have that momentum back.
I wouldn't be quick to discount Derry, though that game against Armagh in a fortnight's time becomes a massive psychological test now. Because of our ridiculous format, it's not do or die for them. I expect the outrage levels will go sky-high if they lose another game and still aren't out of the championship!
When they get Eoin McEvoy back, Conor Doherty back, they should be a different proposition. It's doubtful whether their confidence and belief would survive a third loss on the trot - at least enough to be able to mount a serious All-Ireland tilt.
Is this another year when the league champions wind up having a stale year in the championship, a la Mayo last summer?
Mayo won fairly easily in Castlebar but the entire aftermath has been overshadowed by Paddy Durcan's season-ending injury.
The atmosphere around is funereal since. In the short term, it's a massive blow to Mayo's hopes this summer. The defence is already a touch young and inexperienced and now they're losing one of their leaders and best players, who usually chipped in with one or two scores a game to boot.
It's been a tough few weeks with cruciate ligament injuries, Paddy following on from Cavan's Paddy Lynch and Pádraig McGrogan in Derry and Armagh's Aimee Mackin. Lynch's absence really hobbled Cavan on Saturday and they barely raised a gallop. The chief positive from Mayo's perspective was Cillian O'Connor getting 0-04 from play, while Matty Ruane's form is still strong.
It was a poor opening weekend for Ulster football across the board but Monaghan took the prize for the worst display. They were atrocious.
Some of the turnovers in the first half, you wouldn't see from a Division 4 team, let alone a side who reached an All-Ireland semi-final last year.
You could see it in Vinny Corey's interview afterwards. He did point out that they "won the second half" but then Kerry had already declared their innings at that stage.
I've the greatest of respect for what Monaghan have done over the years but the fear now is the well of players is running dry. They had a crop who won two Ulsters and reached two All-Ireland semi-finals but through injuries and age, they're waning fast and the coming generation are struggling to replace them.
As hard as it is to get eliminated from the championship, it wouldn't be a massive surprise to see them finish fourth in the group.
REMATCHES GALORE
Replays may be gone but this weekend is giving us rematches galore. Dublin-Roscommon and Armagh-Westmeath were fixtures at the exact same stage last year, while Donegal and Tyrone played a few weeks ago.
(And there'll be more in the coming weeks - Roscommon v Mayo in the Hyde again... the rematch no one asked for.)
Dublin allowed Roscommon potter around with the ball for six and a half minutes last year and were held to a draw.
With more of a point to prove after this year's Leinster final and with the Rossies looking a bit underwhelming in 2024, I'd expect a more authoritative and aggressive display, pushing up high and cranking up the heat on Roscommon. I'd be tipping a comfortable Dublin win at home.
Donegal-Tyrone is naturally the best match-up of the week, even if the enthusiasm is slack given they played so recently. We saw last year the importance of finishing top of the group and that's particularly true for Donegal, given the hard road they've come so far. The last thing they want is to be dragged into a preliminary quarter-final.
Tyrone remain an enigma. On paper, the quality is there but they've struggled to gain momentum since the 2021 All-Ireland. It'll be interesting to see if they draft in a few of the Under-20s - Shea O'Hare, the spring chicken at number five, Eoin McElholm and Ronan Cassidy at 14, three cracking players there. The two forwards, in particular, could help take the burden off Darragh Canavan.
You wouldn't rule out a Tyrone victory - they sickened Donegal in a Super 8 game six years ago - but getting a read on their form is so tricky. By a nose, I'd tip the Ulster champions to get home and extend the McGuinness revival.
Armagh's mindset after another cruel Ulster final loss is a big question mark in the group phase. Most pundits have cast their minds forward to the clash with a wobbling Derry in over a week's time. But I'd be wary of regarding Westmeath as obvious whipping boys, given their highly competitive showing last year, where they almost took out Tyrone in the last few minutes. Still, it's hard to see anything other than a win for McGeeney's side.
Louth and Meath is arguably the most intriguing game of the weekend. I said a fortnight ago, I thought Ger Brennan's side will give Group 4 a decent rattle. I was surprised they lost the league game in Navan because I feel they're ahead of Meath in terms of their game-plan and development.
They should have more scope to attack in this game. They've been banging in goals in the last couple of months, six against Fermanagh, four against Wexford, and then they went and outgoaled Dublin. Conor Grimes and Sam Mulroy showcased their quality at HQ. I'd fancy them to get a result on Saturday. Outside of Kerry, Group 4 is possibly one of the more unpredictable.
Neither of these teams will fear Monaghan in this group. No one could fear Monaghan this year.
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