Kerry won the league in 2004 under Jack O’Connor. And then in September they collected the Sam Maguire at their ease. They did the exact same thing two years later and no doubt that is what is on their agenda for 2009.
The man who masterminded those double successes, Jack O’Connor, has a hectic schedule this weekend as his school team Coláiste Na Sceilge, with his son at full-forward, are hot favourites to win the Hogan Cup final on Saturday in Portlaoise against St Mary’s, Edenderry. And then he has to mosey over to Tralee on Sunday for the league game with Galway. According to the Kerry captain from 2004 — Dara Ó Cinnéide — Kerry did not set out to even reach the league final this year.
“Management’s attitude at the start of the year was just to pick up a few points in division one and survive. Then when they got a few points on the board early on they decided that they might as well try and get to the final. And once you’re in a final, you’ll try to win it.” Galway head to Tralee after a disappointing defeat to Mayo and they know that they will have to improve their overall standard of play massively from that dismal display if they are to reach the league final.
Derry are at home to Donegal and if they were to win by three or four points and Galway were to go down by a similar margin then it would set up a repeat of last year’s league final between Derry and Kerry in which the northerners prevailed. According to Ó Cinnéide, the mood in Kerry is that they would prefer to face northern opposition in the final rather than face Galway twice in a few weeks.
“The Kerry panel are currently in a block of savage training for the up-coming championship and they are minus three or four of their top defenders like Marc Ó Sé, Killian Young, and young Aidan O’Shea. From that point of view Galway will provide them with a stiff challenge, however no Kerry team likes to be beaten at home and when the ball is thrown in on Sunday, they will be going all out to win.” Liam Sammon will have to have his troops flying on all cylinders if they are to keep their destiny in their own hands.
The team’s progress in the league had been reasonably impressive until the wheels came off completely in the second half against Mayo and there have to be grave concerns about the side’s over-dependence on Michael Meehan for the bulk of the match winning tallies. The time may also have come to take a leaf out of Mickey Harte and Tyrone’s book as regards the strategy for coping with a midfield pairing that struggles to win enough primary possession. Surely the time has come to put a runner in the engine room alongside either Joe Bergin or whoever to pick up breaks and offer mobile options to Adrian Flaherty or Paul Doherty from their kick-outs?
If we just keep pumping ball out against quality midfield opposition all day it is impossible to see Galway winning any silverware in the short to medium term. Galway must have a plan B in their arsenal.
As regards this Sunday, those Galway supporters who do travel will do so more in hope than expectation.
However if the training that Kerry are doing is as tough as it is meant to be, then there will be some very tired Kerry legs and minds on show. Likewise Jack O’Connor’s focus and commitment for Sunday will be diluted considerably by his endeavours on the previous day. Plus Kerry have nothing really to play for as they are already in the final. From those perspectives and assuming that the Galway panel will be keen to avenge last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat and get to the league final, then Galway have a chance of garnering a rare victory over the Kingdom. This Galway side need to make a point on Sunday and show that they have what it takes to beat Kerry. They have all the incentives to do so.
Rud beag eile
With Pat Spillane moving to the pundits couch on the Sunday Game this summer and reverting to his old role as analyst, I had to ask Dara Ó Cinnéide if he would be replacing his follow county man in the presenter’s chair, especially as he is doing such a fine job presenting Seó Spóirt on Friday nights on TG4.
To be fair to him the announcement of the new presenter is to be made this week so what could be say?
However reading between the lines it seemed like he would prefer to stick to the analysis for now — which would leave the presenter’s chair vacant for anyone from a list including Des Cahill, Joanne Cantwell, Daragh Maloney, Jonathan Mullen, or even Michael Lyster taking back the dual role of afternoons and nights. However as RTE are seeking a host of cuts across all sections due to a €68 million deficit this year is due to a collapse in advertising revenue, the probability is that unlike Spillane, it will definitely be a full-time RTE employee rather than an outsider.
