The sporting year to come was on today's agenda as a hugely impressive cast of pundits joined Nathan Murphy on Off the Ball's The Saturday Panel.
Alongside former middleweight world boxing champion Andy Lee sat Monaghan's Séamus 'Banty' McEnaney, and Sinéad O'Carroll from The Journal.ie. Looking ahead to their most hotly-anticipated sporting events of 2019, the spread of Irish interest is set to be something quite spectacular.
Getting inside the mind of a professional sportsperson at the start of a new calendar year, Andy Lee - determined as he remains never to set foot back in a boxing ring - recalled the ways he would typically approach the change.
"You'd always want to win this fight, or go that far," Lee explained.
"Now, it's just, 'get fit' ... try to get back in shape."
With a plethora of events in the year ahead, 'Banty' used The Saturday Panel to keep one eye focused on Dublin, and Jim Gavin's 'Drive for 5.' Certain that they will be successful in their attempts at making history, the Monaghan man is increasingly sure that an end is in sight, however.
"Dublin's phase will fade out," 'Banty' suggested.
"I remember thinking at the All-Ireland final where they were going for three-in-a-row and Bernard Brogan [and a few others] were dropped for the replay, and I said, 'this man has already won next year's All-Ireland by dropping these fellas.'
However, in an old foe Kerry, 'Banty' expects there to be a changing of the guard sooner rather than later.
Turning attention toward the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the Open Championship in Royal Portrush and the prospect of a Premier League title-race, The Saturday Panel is not to be missed.
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