It might be over-investing the event somewhat to talk about "bragging rights" in the context of the O'Byrne Cup but both managers were happy after Dublin had edged out Laois in extra time at O'Connor Park in Tullamore before a modest crowd of 4,639.

"We've been on a big learning curve and each game has been more intense, and the intensity levels will go up again next week," said Dublin's Paul Caffrey six days before his team take on Tyrone in next Saturday's sell-out National League opener under lights in Croke Park.

His team had survived a strenuous challenge from a Laois outfit missing more of their top players than the Leinster champions were. New manager Liam Kearns was pleased to punch the point home.

"They brought on all their big guns and they had a lot on their bench; we didn't. It took a lot out of them to get there and that was interesting," he said.

Dublin had to respond to the concession of early goals in ordinary as well as extra time. For the second week Diarmuid Connolly and Conal Keaney led the scoring, with 0-7 and 0-5, but it was Kevin Bonner's cannon-crash goal in the 77th minute that finally turned the match in Dublin's direction.

Some fine play and well-taken scores made the afternoon generally interesting even if the match was punctuated by lightning flashes of yellow cards, including second ones for four players, who also picked up reds.

Caffrey detected omens of severity to come: "Well that's what we'll be looking at in the National League but there was no viciousness today just a highly competitive game. But it's the same rules for everybody so we'll see how it rolls."

He said the intensity of the match - in January - wasn't unexpected: "I wasn't surprised given the history of Dublin-Laois over the last couple of years. There was a definite edge there. And who knows what the summer will bring? But there were guys fighting for places on both teams."

He'll pick his team tomorrow and wasn't giving much away concerning the possible return of players like Ciarán Whelan and Jason Sherlock, though he did confirm the players would be getting a run-out in Croke Park under lights early in the week - "if the rugby lot let us in".

Big year for Dublin? "Every year's a big year for Dublin."

Kearns was more forthcoming about his timetable of recovery.

"We have injuries but fellas are coming back. I will have Barry Brennan, Brendan Quigley and Rory Stapleton definitely back, Chris Conway as well, but Joe Higgins and Pádraig McMahon are a few weeks off yet." And Noel Garvan, who has yet to return to the panel?

"Noel will be back in training on the sixth of February."

Kearns added he would be reconsidering his training panel ahead of the league and some alterations were guaranteed. "There'll be maybe one or two changes when we finalise the panel. It's tough letting players go but that's management."