Former Dublin footballer Ciarán Whelan believes that Jim Gavin and his current crop of players may no longer be content with only having the All-Ireland in their possession come September.
Writing in his column for the Herald, Whelan suggests that Gavin's approach thus far makes it clear that he and his side "would like to regain the National Football League title" with a little more enthusiasm than was perhaps on show before.
Identifying the selections that Gavin has carried out ahead of the four games Dublin have played thus far, Whelan posits that the previously unseen "consistency" Gavin has implemented spells bad news for other sides competing in the National League stakes:
That suggests that Jim Gavin, while not completely going with the tried and trusted, has been less inclined to experiment and that has led to a greater degree of consistency in terms of the performances.
Citing the new structure of the League this year as an enabling factor that will allow Gavin to play a stronger Dublin side without fear of burn-out further down the line, Whelan feels this is why Dublin "have hit the ground running. Their performances reflect a positive culture and hunger to maintain their position of supremacy and nothing that I have seen to date would discourage me in that regard."
A fairly dispiriting assessment for those counties who perhaps envisaged a rusty Dublin being there for the taking in this League campaign, Whelan's only complaint centred on their unwillingness - as yet - to express themselves further:
They seem to be playing within themselves to a certain degree.
Last Saturday's match in Castlebar was a case in point in that Dublin, given how much in control they were, could have pushed on and really put Mayo to the sword.
With no real drop in performance evident thus far, Whelan is one of many already convinced that this year's All-Ireland title may well remain in the capital.
If his assessment is anything to go by, the National League will take up residence there too.
