Cork v Monaghan Allianz NFL Division 1 Sunday 7 February Scotstown @ 2.30 pm
Some would say, this is the real start to the season as Cork begin life in Division1 after a few years in the second division and the priority at first will be to ensure they avoid getting entangled in a relegation dogfight.

Three away games, all against Ulster opposition, will test the resolve and mettle of the squad and when the group stages are complete Conor Counihan will be lot wiser ahead of the Championship.

It is also, of course, the first competitive game since the All-Ireland loss to Kerry and one wonders what affect that defeat will have on the morale of the squad. Maybe the talk given to the team by Padraig Harrington will help, look at the impact the golfer with strong Cork connection's had on the Irish rugby team last season.

Cork also played Monaghan in Scotstown last year and lost a close game, but the Rebel's exacted revenge in the final. Both sides will be much changed for this game, Monaghan will be without several key players among them, the Moyne brothers Dessie and John Paul, Dick Clerkin, and Eoin Lennon, but they will have the likes of Tommy Freeman, Paul Finlay and Darren Hughes in their side and they are hard to beat in the tight confines of the Scotstown venue.

Cork will also be without a number of players through injury with Graham Canty, John Miskella and Alan Quirke in the category while Anthony Lynch has yet to resume training with the panel.

However expect Pearse O'Neill, Daniel Goulding, Patrick Kelly, Alan O'Connor and Noel O'Leary all to feature in what is certain to be a tough encounter.

In recent years a good league run has benefited teams in their preparation for the Championship and with Kerry lying ahead in June, they will hope to get their campaign off to a winning start, and even with the absentees should have sufficient strength in depth to do just that.

Fitzgibbon Cup Thursday @ 2 pm.
UCC v LIT @ Mardyke and CIT v UCD @ CIT.

The great pity is that these two very attractive games are clashing, as many supporters would have wished to see both and maybe the fixture secretary might take this into consideration when scheduling the next round. LIT will come to Cork armed with ace attackers Joe Canning and Seamus Callanan in their side and will really test UCC, who have been going well in recent outings.

Stephen Moylan, Kevin Hartnett, Joe Jordan and Darrach Honan have shown good form lately and will need to be at their best if they are to make a winning start in defence of their title.

CIT were beaten semi-finalists last year and will be keen to go one better this time round but, as ever, they have to negotiate their way out of the group stages first and that is never easy.