TOMORROW, as they visit Walsh Park, Waterford, Dubin's hurlers have the opportunity to copperfasten their position at the top of Division Two of the Church & General National Hurling League. Finding them on much a lofty perch isn't that unusual as the county has ever the years yo-yoed between the first and second flights.

The calendar-year experiment gives more substance to their status and under new manager Michael O'Grady, they have run into form just weeks before the championship starts. The victory over Cork two weekends ago has added greatly to the sense of expectation within the county.

Together with Cork and tomorrow's opponents Waterford, Dublin have been unbackable favourites for promotion since the League began but their emergence as divisional leaders wasn't really expected.

O'Grady's status as one of hurling's most distinguished wandering knights has been emphasised over his first few months with the Dublin team. A teacher in James's Street, he has seen service in his native Limerick, Tipperary, Wexford and Antrim as well as with Ireland's senior shinty-hurling team. An admirer of hurling structures within the city, he takes the team's progress in his stride.

"I wasn't surprised," he says of the Cork match. "We started exceptionally well. Our first 15 minutes would have beaten anybody. If we'd retained that form for the whole hour nobody would have beaten us. We scored 1-6 in 15 minutes and we were literally flying, good defensive play, good support play and good passing, good scoring. They're a very fit team.

"I think Cork were not prepared for this. I think the papers really built up Cork. They had got lots of scores and that's what happens when you're playing certain teams. We had won matches but we hadn't been scoring a lot. I wasn't unhappy about that because if you can play badly and win, that's the way to do it at this time of the year.

"I knew Cork. We had played them in the Oireachtas (tournament) and nine of that team were playing. They're a very young team, they're a very fit team but they need lots of space and we said that in Parnell Park they wouldn't get that space. We were fit enough to deny them space. When they don't get space, the forwards especially, they don't have enough of strong men at this stage to create space.

"I was happy at half-time. We should have scored more before halftime but I wasn't surprised we won. That's the reality.

"We were steeped to beat Kerry below in Tralee last month. We got a goal in the last five minutes we owned the ball but couldn't score - but then we beat Meath which was a poor game overall. We beat London a bit better in the end, by 13 points, but with five minutes' to go we were leading by three points and our goalie blocked a sitter. If they'd scored that, they might have won the match. We need the breaks in life to progress and we got the breaks."

Dublin have responded well to O'Grady's instruction. The county has always had promise, but in the years since Lar Foley led them to two Leinster finals at the beginning of the 1990s, the county has yet to win a championship match. O'Grady's theory that skill is given and confidence the variable has specific application in Dublin.

"The best habit in life for a team is winning and we're not used to that in Dublin. The lads came out of the dressingroom after the (Cork) match and there was a crowd of people to meet them and talk to them, interview them. This hasn't happened Dublin before and they actually didn't know what to do, some of them. They haven't been used to that.

"They're a fabulous young team with fabulous commitment and hopefully they'll have more of this. That win was a big help to us but we're heading for Waterford and we have to win the match. If we lose, we're back to square one because we'll have all lost one game each and Cork have a far better score difference record than we have. We want to qualify as one of the top two for the quarter-finals."

The recent victories of Clare and Wexford in the All-Ireland championship have, he feels, been good for the game. Aside from the excitement generated and the growing public interest, he makes the point that what would have been celestial ambitions for teams a couple of years ago have re-adjusted their orbit closer to earth. The temporary eclipse of traditional powers has been part of the process.

"If Kilkenny or Cork or Tipp had been winning, it would have been more of the same. Clare were no-hopers two years ago and Wexford were in Division Two this time last year and were no-hopers. For teams like Dublin, Laois and Waterford, they can dream also. I always believed that at the start of year every county should be able to believe that they can do it this year. We believe we can do it this year. I'm not saying Dublin will do it but Dublin will do it sometime in the next eight years.

"The National League being played now is another fillip to hurling because it's being played at the right time of the year."

The fine weather for the first rounds of the NHL has helped attract huge crowds and more importantly, given the competition a relevance to the championship. Conditions are similar and with no yawning wait between the end of the League and the championship, counties can't afford not to have momentum even now, half-way through the regulation matches.

"I reckon we have very close to our championship team. And I would say that most counties who are playing National League at the moment cannot afford to play a lesser team because a habit of winning is a good habit and who wants to be losing matches. Barring injury I would see two changes between now and the next five weeks."

Even against a background of little tradition and no underage success, O'Grady believes he has sufficient raw materials to make an impact this summer during which Dublin will face Westmeath, and if they win, Kilkenny.