I'd be hoping that the league won't distract them from the task at hand. Training schedules will presumably remain as they were. If there's a heavy block of training to be done this week, so be it. Video analysis shouldn't go anywhere near Galway. Guys should be played where they might play against Clare, not in any attempt to neutralise anything Galway might do. That said, a spell by Cooney on the edge of the square might be useful to us - see if we can neutralise him. If we beat them, great. But Galway are not the priority now.
While a league title might be nice, a final against Tipp creates its own share of problems. There's no way in hell we should be doing anything there that'll help them for championship. I'd be very tempted to play a few young guys in positions that they won't be playing in come championship. Give Cahill something pointless to think about. Beating them out the gate, or losing to them, might be the best two options for us if we want to fuck with their heads.
I don't accept that Clare went out to win the league last year. Most teams don't, but if things go well for them, they might. Clare ended up in a semi-final against KK, and a final against Limerick. Two games they had to win for their own psyche. They went all out to win those games, but if they'd been playing Galway, I doubt they'd have given a fuck.
