Shane McGrath believes Clare are better-placed to challenge Limerick this year, with their supporting cast having grown in confidence by winning the Allianz Hurling league without star man Tony Kelly.
Kelly sat out the spring recovering from ankle surgery as the Banner lifted their first trophy in eight years but the Ballyea forward could come into contention on Sunday when they host the five-in-a-row Munster champions, who have beaten them in successive one-score provincial finals.
"Limerick are a phenomenal group. But Clare are coming into it in a great place. They are the form team. League champions.
"Every team needs piano movers and piano players. And in the form of Tony Kelly you have the greatest piano player Clare have ever seen. But some of the piano movers have become piano players because Tony wasn't there.
"Sometimes when the great steps away, the people who don’t get a lot of the limelight get a freedom almost, 'I can actually go on and do this now’.
"Clare have actually become a stronger panel in the absence of Tony Kelly, because Mark Rodgers and Aidan McCarthy feel more freedom. And when Tony comes back he’ll probably feel more freedom.
"When he’s ready to play, that’s a no-brainer but the rest of them have stepped up to a level that they can really help him.
"We saw glimpses of it last year. He was scoring 50, 55% of Clare’s scores on his own a couple of years ago. Last year it was less and I think this year it will be less [again].
"So while Limerick are brilliant, I think Clare are a in better place [than last year]. They know they have the men to go toe to toe with them.
"Beating Kilkenny [in the league final] was a big thing, Kilkenny had their number the last couple of years. Brian Lohan now has a cup on the table, which they needed as a group."
However, McGrath also thinks that Limerick have strengthened, and that the league semi-final loss to Kilkenny and form of some of their younger players could prompt John Kiely to make changes as they begin the quest for hurling's first All-Ireland five-in-a-row.
"We haven’t heard a lot about Limerick. Most of their top 15, 16… we never got to see them at full tilt.
"I’d say when they went on the training camp they would have had to ask each other some hard questions as to why it happened against Kilkenny.
"John Kiely said it was the worst performance under his tenure and that’s a big statement to make.
"It was a strange performance. Kilkenny were miles the better team. The intensity they brought, Limerick couldn’t match it.
"I think Limerick are a stronger panel this year. That’s a no-brainer with Sean Finn and Declan Hannon back but where Cathal O’Neill, Adam English and Donnacha Ó Dálaigh have gone in the last year, I think now John Kiely is looking at these three boys and considering starting one, maybe two of them.
"Cathal O’Neill at half-back was maybe the player of the league behind David Fitzgerald. Who’s going to lose out? Diarmaid Byrnes, Deccie Hannon, Kyle Hayes? English is a real option as a forward or midfielder. Ó Dálaigh lit it up during the league."
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