Bottom Line Back-to-back All Irelands Verdict Definite All Ireland semi-finalists but could be caught after that

2 MAYO Have the manager and bench to win it all, but must remember they'll have to beat more than Galway and Kerry to do that. For all David Heaney offers out the field, he's still the best full back in that county, just not the right one to play there against Kerry. And for all the options they have up front, they'll need Ciaran McDonald back in 2004 form and back in his 2005 role (full forward) to play into September again.

Bottom Line Win Sam Verdict Beaten All Ireland semi-finalists

3 TYRONE If they get everyone back, they have the best team in the country, but that's a mighty big if. In Mickey Harte's first three years, his team routinely totted up big scores but, since winning the 2005 All Ireland, they've played 18 league and championship games, and only twice managed more than 14 scores. They were the 1-15 against Monaghan and 1-14 against Kerry . . . but that was in March last year.

When they were winning All Irelands, they had four or five players who had careerbest years and, quite frankly, we only see a player or two coming up to that mark. Win Ulster and they might get that old swagger and aura back but if they don't their All Ireland hopes could dissipate like they did last year.

Bottom Line Win the All Ireland, which means winning Ulster along the way Verdict Beaten All Ireland quarter-finalists

4 DONEGAL The side most likely to break up the old Big Three's championship dominance, just like they were the ones to break up their stranglehold on the league.

The problem is they'll have to go through two of those three to just reach the Ulster final while Kerry are already in the last 12.

Their full-back line has creaked at times this year while their (on-field) discipline has faltered; they conceded two headless frees from where the ball landed for Conor Mortimer to keep Mayo in a league final that could have been over. Brendan Devenney's stomach strain is another concern, but Adrian Sweeney has been waiting two years now for a chance to start, and nearly 10 years for a midfield like Neil Gallagher and Kevin Cassidy to feed him the ball.

Bottom Line Win Ulster and/or All Ireland Verdict Will win Ulster or the All Ireland

5 DUBLIN Were our bet to win it all the week before they played Kerry. But then came that insipid display in Parnell Park and Dotsie O'Callaghan's defection, which raised serious questions about management's judgment and treatment of players; O'Callaghan, at worst, would have been a useful bit of dynamite to throw in the last 20 minutes, a la Kevin McMenamin with Donegal. Are still a very dangerous team who'll gather some momentum in Leinster but it looks like too many key players . . . even Alan Brogan, Ciaran Whelan, Bryan Cullen and Conal Keaney . . .

will struggle to get back to the heights of last year.

Bottom Line Get to an All Ireland final Verdict Will fall just short of that goal

6 ARMAGH Looked like they were cranking back up to old levels in the way they disposed of Westmeath in the last game of their league, but that cruciate tear of Francie Bellew's looks one blow too many . . . and we don't say this lightly . . . even for Francie himself. They might get away in Ulster with Philip Loughran at full forward but by August Stevie McDonnell will need the class of his old partner Ronan Clarke (right) and, even then, Clarke will need to start as he left off.

An All Ireland is probably beyond them but yet another Ulster would seal their greatness and superiority over Tyrone in the modern era.

Bottom Line Win the All Ireland Verdict All Ireland quarter-finalists

7 CORK Probably that bit shy of winning an All Ireland but closely resembling the honesty and make-up of the side that got to a final in '99. Have the goalkeeper, the backs, and Nicholas Murphy, and a functional if uninspiring forward line.

Conor McCarthy's recent return to form and Fintan Goold's imminent comeback from his stellar under-21 campaign will help matters, but that half-forward line could still do with Kevin McMahon going to the next level and even the thrust of Graham Canty after he's finished with the mission of curbing Donaghy. Inside, their own Donaghy, Michael Cussen, plus Kevin O'Sullivan and Donnacha O'Connor are providing James Masters with more support, but they still lack the fluency to go all the way.

Bottom Line Get to an All Ireland final Verdict All Ireland semi-finalists

8 LAOIS Serious dark horses to win it all, not just Leinster. They were unbeaten in their last six league games, have those under-21s to come back, have the old Beano McDonald back, and Liam Kearns' professionalism will bring a confidence that had been gradually subsiding in the fun but outdated days and ways of Micko.

Bottom Line Win Leinster and/or reach the All Ireland semi-final Verdict Will achieve one of the above but not both

9 GALWAY Have a mobile defence anchored by the best young full back in the country, some class acts up front, and even look like they might now have a midfield. For all Cormac Bane's promise though, they're still over-reliant on the crew of '98. Do they have the ability and ambition to be more than a pain in the side and ass of Mayo who can string a few wins together in the comfort zone that is Division 1B? After last year, how can we trust them and say "Yes"?

Bottom Line Win Connacht and then win a game in Croke Park for the first time in six years Verdict Last eight or 12 championship exit

10 DERRY Their best chance to get back to an Ulster final for the first time in seven years, even with Paddy Bradley's suspension, Eoin Bradley's defection and Kevin McGuckian's broken leg. Conleth Gilligan's return has brought some scoring power to that infamous Derry half-forward line, James Conway was the league's topscoring midfielder after its half-way point, while Enda Muldoon has rediscovered his scoring touch. Are a bit too laborious to reach an All Ireland semi-final, but if they can get to that Ulster final, then Bradley on his return might get them that Ulster title.

Bottom Line Win Ulster Verdict Last 12 championship exit

11 MONAGHAN Leave aside who lifted the cup last week and those surreal opening five minutes in the semi-final the week before;

the best team in Division Two this year was Monaghan, not Meath. That defeat might serve a purpose though, like reminding them the game starts when the ref likes.

Although the redeployment of Damien Freeman and the emergence of young Ciaran Hanratty has taken some of the scoring burden of Tomas Freeman, they don't score enough goals. Still, with Martin McElkennon on board, there isn't a more united or better-prepared side on that side of the Ulster draw.

Bottom Line Reach the Ulster final Verdict Beaten Ulster finalists

12 KILDARE Ranked 12 here but will struggle to make the last 12; with Killian Brennan and Dermot Earley out, their midfield suddenly looks threadbare. Still have options to shore up those gaps, but can James Kavanagh still get his point a game from midfield instead of from the wing and is Will Heffernan finally ready to become a legit senior inter-county player?

Are tight at the back and well acclimatised to the close games . . . all eight of their league games were decided by a goal or less . . . but then we were saying the same this time last year before they were taken for 3-9, 1-13 and 1-17 by Offaly, Cavan and Derry. John Crofton has attributed the Derry debacle to a logistical dilemma, which is fair enough, but the feeling remains they don't have enough firepower outside of John Doyle to run up the kind of scores required when the ground gets hard.

Bottom Line Reach the All Ireland quarterfinals, something they've yet to do Verdict Should win a game or two but not three

13 WESTMEATH Striving to reach the All Ireland quarter-finals for the fourth time this decade, they remain a solid mid-tier team capable of beating any team outside the top six but will hardly get away with another summer regularly failing to reach the 13-point mark. Dessie Dolan might have been one of only five players to score from play in every Division One game this year but his game was out of sorts, and now so is his shoulder, making him doubtful for next week's reunion with Luke Dempsey. Fergal Wilson's return has only improved things marginally while Denis Glennon and Alan Mangan's form continues to fluctuate too drastically.

Bottom Line Get back to a Leinster final Verdict Might win two games but no more;

last 16 exit.

14 MEATH The more things change here, the more things remain the same.

Where a few years ago Daithi Regan was their scoring machine, now it's Brian Farrell, who notched up 8-38 in the league.

Although Darren Fay has shored things up at the back, Colm Coyle's first year could go a lot like Sean Boylan and Eamonn Barry's last. One day, like last month's visit to Wexford, they look a Division Three team; the next, like their last two wins over Roscommon, potential All Ireland quarterfinalists. Reality is somewhere in between.

A mid-tier team.

Bottom Line Get to a Leinster final and/or All Ireland quarter-final Verdict Second-round qualifier exit 15 LIMERICK One of those sides who are hard to beat but find it hard to win. Have one of the best full-backs in the country in Johnny McCarthy and are sprightly in moving the ball out of defence. It is also a testament to Mickey Ned O'Sullivan's coaching that John Galvin, who seemed so reluctant to kick the ball during Liam Kearns's reign, was one of Division One's five top-scoring midfielders this spring.

But now Galvin is a doubt for Cork and, as good as Micheal Reidy is for a few frees a game, they have no two-footed forward, forcing them to recycle the ball endlessly to create scoring chances. Will rattle Cork and will fancy beating anyone at home in the qualifiers but too limited to win a second game this summer.

Bottom Line Ambush Cork or reach the last 12 by the backdoor Verdict Second-round qualifier exit

16 WEXFORD Have rebounded well from that calamitous opening league defeat to Waterford, conceding only two goals and going unbeaten since. Could yet get to that coveted Leinster final, but will need the likes of Ciaran Deeley, Redmond Barry and Diarmuid Lyng all supporting Matty Forde instead of taking turns to do so.

Bottom Line Reach the Leinster final Verdict Will win or two games this summer but hardly three

17 FERMANAGH Charlie Mulgrew was an inspired manager for Fermanagh but it should have been obvious to him and the county board last August the time was right to part. This year he's clearly tired of them and they're tired of him; name one player from the 2004 crew that has improved since then? Barry Owens perhaps, and now there's doubts about his shoulder for 20 May. Have one kick in them which might wound Tyrone, but their play is too pedestrian and predictable and their attitude too tepid to again make the last 12.

Bottom Line Beat Tyrone and, for the hell of it, Donegal or Armagh too Verdict A tame, quiet send-off for Charlie

18 LOUTH Mmm. Started this year's league like they finished last year's, to the point where Mickey Harte was tipping them as dark horses for Leinster, but have since gone off the boil. Last week they were destroyed by Down, a 20-point turnaround from when the side's met in early February.

No side in Division 1B was so porous at the back and though Paddy Keenan might have been that section's highest-scoring midfielder, he and his various partners haven't been winning enough primary possession. Meanwhile, Darren Clarke's free-taking and general play has been erratic and even Shane Lennon, who scored more goals in this year's league than anyone else, needs to get more ball.

Capable of one or two shocks but their veterans don't seem to have the legs to do anything more.

Bottom Line Get to a Leinster final, or a Leinster semi-final at least Verdict Will beat Wicklow but, being the one county with no home venue to stage a qualifier, won't win more than two games

19 ROSCOMMON Only Kerry have an easier passage to the last 12 but, for all John Maughan's fine rebuilding job, this team will struggle against any side in the top 12.

Ger Heneghan has thrived since Frankie Dolan's sizeable shadow was removed, scoring 4-49 in the league, but despite Cathal Cregg's ball-carrying and goalscoring prowess and Gary Cox's couple of points a game, they're very ordinary if Seamus O'Neill isn't in full throttle.

Bottom Line Win Connacht Verdict Might beat Sligo but hardly anyone else

20 CAVAN Another side eying an Ulster final. Are at home next week where they'll fancy running up a big score against that dubious Down defence like they did in 2004, but need the lively duo of Seanie Johnson and Ger Pierson to take off the blinkers.

Bottom Line Reach an Ulster final VerdictMight win a game or two in Ulster but first or second-round qualifier exit

21 DOWN Could jump at least 10 spots and back to where we had them 12 months ago. No manager this spring John Healy (Mayo) Paddy Christie (Dublin) Mike McCarthy (Kerry) Aidan O'Rourke (Armagh) Glenn Ryan (Kildare) (Galway) experimented as freely as Ross Carr, who is obviously from the 'Give me liberty or give me death' school, or to be more precise, 'Give me an Ulster final or give me Division Three'. Might pay off now that they have most of their big-name players back, like Benny Coulter whose form has picked up in recent weeks. Beat Cavan and Ross could have a summer like Paddy O'Rourke's first in 2003. Lose and they're likely to have one like every other Paddy had.

Bottom Line Reach an Ulster final or the All Ireland quarter-finals Verdict Last 12 or 16 qualifier exit

22 LONGFORD A mixed league. Lost to Carlow, appear to have lost Paul Barden . . .

once again the highest scoring half-forward in Division Two . . . for next week's opener against Westmeath; in fact look to have lost the whole vim of last year. But they escaped Division Four and have drastically reduced the number of goals they concede, giving up only three in this year's league to last year's 13, while scoring 15 themselves, the highest in the division.

Bottom Line Beat Westmeath at home and Senan Connell (Dublin) Ollie Murphy (Meath) Muiris Gavin then maybe bounce all the way to a Leinster final VerdictMight win one game this summer, hardly two

23 OFFALY Any side who fails to beat any of the four teams above them aren't worthy of much sympathy, but Offaly are above the Tommy Murphy Cup. Could still avoid it if they managed to reach a second consecutive Leinster final, but Niall McNamee's freetaking and Ciaran McManus's peripheral displays are worrying trends.

Bottom Line Get to a Leinster final, and then win it Verdict Might have to settle for winning the Tommy Murphy Cup instead

24 SLIGO The kind of team who couldn't dream of making the last 12 if they were in Leinster or Ulster but beat Roscommon in Roscommon and they're there. If Sean Davey takes some of the scoring burden off Mark Brehony, they might pull it off too.

Bottom Line Reach the Connacht final Verdict Could get that far but no further

25 LEITRIM The one team outside the Tommy Murphy Cup who could lose to London. The league has to be deemed a success, as they sidestepped the trapdoor to Division Four, but their widely-lauded full-back line creaked against the better teams. Are hard to beat but for all the aerial threat of Declan Maxwell, the usual narrow defeat to either Galway or Mayo, followed by another to AN Other in the qualifiers awaits.

Bottom LineWin two games this summer Verdict Last 16 or 24 exit Micko's first year mightn't be as impressive as Hugh Kenny's but it's much better than Hugh's last, or to put it another way, Micko's first year might be better than Hugh Kenny's last but it's hardly better than Hugh's first. Could ambush Louth but at some point will be playing in the Tommy Murphy Cup and the word is Micko will step aside for it. If he does, there's a case he should step aside altogether.

Bottom Line By hiring Micko, it has to be reaching a Leinster final Verdict A Tommy Murphy Cup team who should go all out for the Tommy Murphy Cup

27 CLARE While Micko has lifted things in Wicklow, his protege hasn't in Clare. The vibe is it's championship or bust for Paidi, but his appointment, not the Tommy Murphy Cup, is the joke if he's not around to coach in it.

Bottom Line Reach a Munster final Verdict A narrow win over Waterford, a heavy defeat to Kerry, and God knows what after that

28 ANTRIM Steadily improving under Jody Gormley. Once again leaked an extraordinary amount of goals in the league, but in their last game managed to keep a clean sheet against Tipperary while scoring at least 14 scores for the third straight game. Could be without their fine freetaker Paddy Cunningham for Derry but that might be all the more reason to unleash the young, light but gited CJ McGourty.

Bottom Line Shock Derry and if not, win the Tommy Murphy Cup Verdict Tommy Murphy Cup finalists

29 TIPPERARY Look, they're at little, so let's use this precious space for another Declan Browne eulogy. Last month Darren Fay said he's the most lethal he's ever marked. That's coming from the best full back of his generation who got taken for six points by Padraic Joyce in an All Ireland final. In this league alone Browne scored an incredible 2-50, an average of eight points a game, and it's now over six years since he last failed to score from play, the longest streak in the country.

Bottom Line Rattle Cork or Limerick, then rattle the Tommy Murphy Cup VerdictMight win a game this year . . . in the Tommy Murphy Cup

30 WATERFORD The optimism in the wake of the Nire's run and that shock win over Wexford just dissipated.

Bottom Line Beat Clare VerdictWill test but not beat Clare, and maybe win a game in the Murphy Cup

31 CARLOW Up until a few weeks ago, no manager. No Thomas Walsh. No Simon Rea. No vision. No hope.

Bottom Line Put it up to Offaly Verdict Doomed

32 LONDON Continue to fight the good fight, frightening Leitrim and then beating Carlow last month.

Bottom Line Beat Leitrim in Ruislip Verdict Another gallant defeat

33NEW YORK Gave Sligo an awful fright in Sligo's golden year of 2002 but the hardest thing to predict about next week's repeat fixture is where in New York it'll be played.

Bottom Line Scare Sligo Verdict It'll be played somewhere alright