Division 2 preview: Rossies look a cut above

Who would have thunk it?

After a decade-long panic about increasing elitism and stratification within the inter-county game, Division 2 has embarked on a glorious new era as the natural home of the All-Ireland champions.

In the last two seasons, teams who began the year nursing their wounds in the second tier finished it with Sam in their possession.

Okay, so Dublin may have been an atypical resident of Division 2. That they wound up there at all was regarded as a freak occurrence, the result of a strange mini-crisis at the beginning of the 2022 league.

But Armagh? They've been yo-yoing for a few years and were certainly no strangers to the off-Broadway environment. The 2024 All-Ireland champions know all too well what it's like to pitch up in Ennis or Páirc Tailteann on a wintry afternoon.

Even back in 2022, Galway reached their first All-Ireland final in over two decades having spent the early part of the season in Div. 2.

Recent trends indicate that, provided you're not down there too long, a quick spell in the second tier can be the ideal primer for a tilt at the championship. Teams on the fence between the top two divisions have tended to develop a winning habit and built up confidence and momentum.

From another perspective, there is no league more pressured than Division 2 under the current format.

Unlike in other divisions, there's no scope to rest in mid-table safety come the back end of the campaign, with every team scrapping to stay high enough up the ladder to make double sure of their Sam Maguire Cup place.

Meath found out the hard way in 2023 that surviving in the division does not guarantee top tier championship football later in the year. Colm O'Rourke's side had finished sixth in the league, but Clare's surprise