By Kieran Lynch

WHAT the 2022 National League campaign will bring for Donegal is anybody’s guess.

Despite being one of the best teams in Ireland over the last 10 years, Donegal’s league form has been inconsistent, and they haven’t reached a league final in that time.

There’s no doubt that Donegal have quality in their ranks, and if they play at their best, they can beat anybody in Ireland. Despite that, mid-table is where the bookmakers expect them to finish in a league that is shaping up to be ultra-competitive.

Relegation favourites such as Armagh and Monaghan have reason to believe that they can take a scalp off Declan Bonner’s men, having scored draws against them in last year’s shortened iteration.

As always Patrick McBrearty will be expected to shine for the Tír Chonaill men once again, and he’s already started off his 2022 campaign on form, pointing 16 times in four McKenna Cup appearances.

Donegal’s other talisman Michael Murphy will be hoping for a better year than he had in 2021, as the All-Ireland winning captain was hampered by injury problems for most of the season. However, if their McKenna Cup defeat to Monaghan is any indication, they still seem reliant on him for leadership.

One player to watch for Donegal is Buncrana man Caolan McGonagle who looks primed for a big year in 2022. McGonagle made his championship debut in 2020 and has been a regular fixture in the side since then, and he was one of the stand-out men for Donegal in their recent McKenna Cup campaign.

Another player to keep an eye on will be Ghaoth Dobhair man Odhran McFadden Ferry, who returns to Donegal action, having spent last season touring Lebanon with the Irish Army.

Donegal open their 2022 campaign with a clash against newly-promoted Mayo, which could provide indication on which way their season will go. The game is listed as an ‘away’ fixture, but in reality, it is more of a neutral ground as the game is being played in Markievicz Park, with McHale Park undergoing re-surfacing. The new venue is as far away from Ballybofey as it is from Castlebar, which could be a big advantage for the Ulster side.