National Football League talking points: Dublin are still contenders | Tyrone come good

Dublin are down, but might not be out.

Dublin relegated, but are still contenders for the championship

Dublin's relegation has sent shockwaves across the Gaelic football landscape. Dessie Farrell's team almost pulled off the 'great escape', but ultimately came up short in Clones.

Nonetheless, they are still live contenders entering the championship.

Ultimately, it was not the second half of the campaign that cost the Dubs their top-tier status.

It was their sub-standard showings in the opening four games against Armagh, Kerry, Mayo and Kildare. Their failure to pick up a single point in those outings was the reason they were demoted.

But when graphing their form, there has been a clear upward trajectory in recent weeks.

Right from the off, Farrell made it clear he was not overly concerned about league results.

"Obviously you want to be competitive in every game, but at the end of the day - and this isn't to disrespect any competition, but everyone has their sights set on what's going to happen in the summer," he said in January, in the wake of their defeat to the Orchard County.

"For us we're involved in that process, trying to build something that will be highly competitive come April-May."

They remain hot favourites for Leinster - although the Lilywhites might have something to say about that - and have time to get things right for their bid to reclaim the Sam Maguire Cup.

The impending return of Con O'Callaghan will bolster the side significantly.

Tyrone come good

The Red Hands waded through much of their league campaign, with many suggestions throughout the springtime that they are suffering from an All-Ireland hangover.

Nonetheless, they came good when the chips were down on Sunday. Knowing a win would ensure their top-flight survival, Tyrone claimed victory in Killarney - the site of their harrowing 18-point league semi-final defeat in 2021.

Despite the much-discussed departures of six players from the panel in recent months, Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher's team appear to be warming up nicely for the summer.

They open their Ulster Championship defence against Fermanagh in the preliminary round. To retain the Anglo-Celt Cup, they would likely also need to go through Derry, Monaghan, and one of Donegal or Armagh.

It is by no means an easy task, but Tyrone's away win over the Kingdom was a timely boost ahead of their championship campaign.

Kildare can be proud of their Division 1 showing

Despite relegation, it was a positive campaign for the Lilywhites, considering their previous trip to the top tier in 2018 yielded seven losses.

On that comparison alone, their five points accumulated is more than a respectable showing.

The Leinster side were not out of their depth, going unbeaten at St Conleth's Park, with Kerry, Dublin and Monaghan all coming to Newbridge.

The new management will have been satisfied with the team's progress. Jimmy Hyland established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in Division 1, and the Kildare attack is no longer as reliant on Daniel Flynn.

The defence was solid for much of the campaign, although the concession of 2-20 against Mayo is a worry ahead of the summer.

The home victory over Dublin will raise hopes that a first Delaney Cup success since 2000 is possible. Regardless of whether a provincial title comes this year, Kildare should be aiming for an All-Ireland quarter-final appearance at least.

Derry come up short

Rory Gallagher will be cursing the scheduling in Division 2.

Galway already had their promotion wrapped up with one game to go. Their final game happened to be against Roscommon, who needed a win to secure their return to the top flight.

From Padraic Joyce's perspective, the trip to Dr Hyde Park was never going to be a priority. With a Division 2 final and a Connacht Championship opener against Mayo over the coming weeks, there are bigger games ahead for the Tribesmen. It was far from a must-win game for Galway, and the Rossies came out on top.

That result rendered Derry's victory over Meath redundant, as they were denied a promotion spot.

Of course, the Ulster side lost control of their own destiny with a harrowing 11-point home defeat to Galway last week, but they still showed significant promise in recent weeks.

Only three teams across all four divisions gathered more National League points than the Oak Leaf County, yet they finished in third place in Division 2.

That will prove little consolation, but the league nonetheless showed that Derry are moving in the right direction.

With the field (largely) confirmed, the Tailteann Cup needs a strong first year

Following the conclusion of the National League group stages, 17 teams now know they will be competing in the Tailteann Cup this year, unless they reach the final of their respective provincial championships.

In recent weeks, all the talk has been of teams being 'condemned' to the secondary championship competition.

If the GAA want the new tournament to prove a success, and not to go the same way as its predecessor the Tommy Murphy Cup, it needs buy-in.

Championship silverware would be a major fillip for any of the teams involved. It will be interesting to see how it is received in the coming months.