Holders Derrygonnelly Harps will enter this year’s Senior Football Championship as favourites - but there are a number of clubs who will be aiming to take their crown in what looks to be one of the most open championships in quite a few years.

A new format will see the previous knockout competition replaced by round robin group stages, so there will be more championship games for each side, and there is also that leeway for a slip-up that would not prove fatal to a side’s hopes of making it through to the latter knockout stages.

The eight team competition will be split into two groups of four, and with the bottom side in each group contesting the relegation play-off, the first objective for all sides will be to stay off the bottom.

For those that finish away from the bottom, they then have the knockout stages to look forward to.

There is a major incentive in topping the group as the group winners will progress directly through to the semi-finals, giving them a week’s break – something the other sides won’t have.

Second in one group will then have home advantage against third in the other group in the two quarter finals.

It means that there should be something to play for right through to the end of the round robin stages.

Derrygonnelly have quietly gone about things this season. They had a slow start to the league but have finished the campaign strongly and will now have their sights set on the New York Cup.

Last year’s beaten Ulster finalists are laced with championship experience in the likes of Ryan Jones, Conall Jones, Eamon McHugh and Mickey Jones, while they also have some younger players starting to make their mark as they look to cement their place in the side.

No doubt, the Harps would love to have another crack at the Ulster Club, but that is far down the line, Fermanagh will be their only focus and they will be very aware that they cannot take their eye off the ball.

Contenders

There are a lot of sides who will feel that they are genuine contenders for the title, none more so than Erne Gaels, who came through the league with an unblemished nine wins out of nine before winning the final against Kinawley.

Manager Seamus Ryder has not hidden the fact that the championship is now the target, and they should be right in the mix.

The Belleek side, who are in Group A along with Derrygonnelly, have no shortage of quality in the likes of Ultan Kelm, Ryan Lyons, Oisin Kelm, Tommy McCaffrey and Shane Rooney, and they carry a real goal-scoring threat, as they showed in the league.

They round off their group stage against Derrygonnelly which could be a key game in deciding who finishes where in the group.

Belnaleck are also in this section and they are more than dark horses for the championship.

Colm Bradley has a big, physical squad with plenty of players with county experience. This is a squad that has been getting stronger as the year has gone on, and with Darragh McGurn now back after a summer in Chicago, and Che Cullen also back home, they have to be considered serious contenders, especially when you add in the likes of Garrett Cavanagh, Conor McCauley, Kane Connor and Bryan Owens.

The underdogs in the group are Teemore. The Shamrocks failed in their bid to get out of Division Two, defeat on the last day to Belcoo costing them promotion.

However, as all the other sides in that section will be well aware, Teemore are traditionally a strong championship side and they will fear no one in their group.

Barry Owens’ side have a youthful look to them, but they also have some experienced heads in around them in the shape of Eoin McManus, Cian McManus and Jason McCaffrey, who provide leadership for the likes of Aaron McManus and Ronan McCaffrey.

The Shamrocks’ goal will be to stay in the Senior championship and they will be no walkover for any side.

The other section also looks very competitive. Kinawley finished as league runners-up despite having a number of players missing throughout the campaign.

Those players though were starting to return as the league drew to a close and they will be a tough test for any side.

Defensively, they have Niall Bogue, Conor Murphy and Paddy McGovern, while Eoghan McManus is a physical presence in the middle of the park.

And then further forward they can look to Sean McManus and the Corrigan brothers, Tomás and Ruairi.

Enniskillen are another who will be looking to make an impact. The Gaels reached the final last year before losing to Derrygonnelly and they will be eager to build on that this time around, and are among that group who will feel that if things go right, then they could go all the way.

In Johnny Cassidy, Josh Horan, Brandon Horan, John Reihill and Richie O’Callaghan, they have big players and they should be challengers.

A team who have players who know about winning the championship is Ederney, the St. Joseph’s side having won it in 2020.

A mixed bag

Ederney had a mixed bag of results in the league but their focus will have been on the championship and they will be a real threat in the competition.

The loss of Mark McCauley is a blow, with the forward having left for Australia, but still have a lot of quality in their ranks. Declan McCusker, Marty McGrath, Paul McCusker and Chris Snow are all hugely experienced operators alongside the likes of Conor McGee and Finbarr Gillen.

Roslea conclude this group and while they may have been relegated to Division Two, there is not one of the sides in the group who will be relishing facing the Shamrocks in the championship.

Although they were on the wrong side of results, they were very competitive throughout the league, and they will be boosted by the return of James McMahon.

They have obvious quality in Sean and Seamie Quigley, and with Micheal Flanagan and Niall Cosgrove too they are more than capable of causing teams severe problems.

Their goal will be to get out of the group and take it from there.