Under Discussion: Round 6 of the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues
Chatting are: The Irish Examiner's John Fogarty, Tony Leen, Fintan O’Toole, Diarmuid O'Flynn, and our football columnist Trevor Giles
TREVOR GILES: Sunday was my first time to see Kerry in the flesh this season, but it was a complete stroll for them. The game was over at half-time and Monaghan were very poor. Kerry would not have learned much aside from getting game time into Declan O'Sullivan and Paul Galvin.
TONY LEEN: Unfortunate for them that midfielder David Moran went off, because game time is precisely what he needs.
JOHN FOGARTY: Moran's two stand-out games were against Dublin and Armagh. You're right, a bit of the momentum built up will have been lost.
TREVOR GILES: Not sure of the extent of the injury but probably will miss the next couple of games. He certainly is a huge man and was doing well.
TONY LEEN: Lot of talk still in Kerry about the constitution of their summer midfield. The Donaghy idea died a quick death and my hunch is yesterday's pairing of Moran and Maher, with Scanlon and Mike Quirke coming in for cameos. It's a gamble, no doubt, they're both raw enough, but I presume Kerry management are depending on Galvin to feed off the breaks there.
JOHN FOGARTY: Considering people were writing off Kerry's interests in reaching a league final, it was a surprisingly fine win.
TONY LEEN: Jack O'Connor is running out of rabbits to pull from that hat at this stage. I think you'll see when things get serious, there will be precious few news faces on the starting fifteen. Maybe a half back like Jonathan Lyne or Daniel Bohan (hardly a new face). Time is getting tight now for Tommy Griffin. I'd say he'd need to be on that trip to Portugal - if they get to go, of course! We're still expecting a Cork-Dublin final right?
JOHN FOGARTY: It's still looking like a Dublin-Cork final. But that's two trips to Connacht, which will leave Conor Counihan with much to chew over. Weren’t great against Galway and that defeat yesterday. It’s also a risk in the sense of using up two substitutes in midfield, especially with a team that is, by and large, getting on.
TREVOR GILES: It looks that way, no harm for Cork to get a couple of defeats, it will keep them honest. Dublin on the other hand could have done with one defeat on way to a league final, they possibly could remain undefeated until the pressure cooker of the All-Ireland quarter-final which is not ideal
JOHN FOGARTY: The one thing about Dublin and Cork is they have plenty of youth. Kerry and Tyrone, the other two stand-out All-Ireland contenders, are leaning on their tried and trusted a bit too heavily but you'd dismiss them at your peril. You really get the sense that it's an all or nothing job for many of the Kerry thirtysomethings this year.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Interesting that yesterday in Castlebar, Cork had only three players on their starting fifteen over the age of 25 - Alan O'Connor, Noel O'Leary and Pearse O'Neill. The U21 teams of 06, 07 and 09 are now providing the bulk of Cork's side.
JOHN FOGARTY: That's a top stat - I imagine Counihan is raging, though. It's not like winning the league will do anything for Cork but purely for the sake of getting the job done and having the Armagh game as one last chance to tinker before the championship.
TREVOR GILES: Cork still outscoring teams in terms of points but losing games due to lack of goals, still a concern for them apart from the three against
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Another difficulty for Counihan now is the lack of natural corner-forwards in his panel. Following John Hayes departure and Colm O'Neill's injury, he's left with Daniel Goulding and Donnacha O'Connor as his only recognised inside men. Paul Kerrigan and Ciaran Sheehan look better suited to half-forward roles.
TONY LEEN: While Cork remain very much the team to beat come the Summer, will appetite be a concern? I was talking to one inter county manager last week who believes Cork are too fit, too early in the season, and reckons they can't sustain that through to September.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: The Cork team that's operating now though should be changed come the summer. The old guard are still to come back, Miskella's return the first sign of that yesterday, and they will look to blood a few new U21's as well. The championship programme is kind to them as they can build up to a final with Kerry in July. That'll be the test of their appetite.
JOHN FOGARTY: I think it'll be that old adage with Cork - they'll be the ones to beat themselves if it happens. Dublin look tactically better than them at the moment, Kerry are being economical with what they have and it's all about peaking at the right time for them but God knows just how much confidence last year has given Cork. As I wrote before, on paper they should have steamrolled teams last year. Instead, they just wore them down.
TONY LEEN: In many ways, the story of this league though is Meath, though it's not unfolding the way Banty might have imagined.
TREVOR GILES: First thing I would say is that managing the Meath team is no easy task at present. Confidence is on the floor and there’s not much leadership on the pitch. They were ahead at half-time yesterday with a strong breeze for the second half and had no idea what to do with the wind.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: It's not the last day scenario that Banty would have envisaged next Sunday in Páirc Tailteann. The pre-spring hope would have been welcoming Tyrone to town for a promotion showdown but now they face a really difficult task to get a win against a side gunning to return to Division 1.
JOHN FOGARTY: Tyrone are so good at the moment, Meath will have to come up a championship game winning performance to beat them.
TONY LEEN: So Trevor, will Banty turn it around in time, and will he be given that time by Barney Allen and the County Board?
JOHN FOGARTY: Asking for patience and clemency won't wash with the Meath County Board. Banty represented a punt. I believe only an All-Ireland final will save him providing Meath go down to Division 3.
TREVOR GILES: It was only in his second year with Monaghan that Banty really got their work rate up. So I would give him another year, Meath can’t have had all bad managers in the last few years. He is coming under a lot of pressure around the county but i would imagine the board would give him some time
TREVOR GILES: I would think Banty over-estimated the talent there was in Meath. I get the impression he thought they were big strong men with good forwards and it was just a matter of improving their speed and mobility which he felt he could do with training.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Moving on in the football, Division 3 strikes me as a real logjam ahead of next Sunday's final round. Five teams in with a shout of promotion and five teams in danger of relegation, Tipperary and Louth falling into both brackets. In Division 4, as expected, Roscommon have topped the table.
TREVOR GILES: I was at Breffni Park on Saturday night for Louth and Cavan, shocking stuff from two teams who had it all to play for. It was far better stuff the previous week from Wicklow and Roscommon, two teams who give it everything and will be difficult opponents for anyone in the championship.
JOHN FOGARTY: The GAA must be delighted with the amount of games still live next weekend. The Rossies have been impressive especially given they were without their Brigids contingent for a good part of the campaign. Louth have gone backwards in recent weeks just as Peter Fitzpatrick has settled into Kildare St. Coincidental? Perhaps so.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: We'll switch onto the hurling now lads. Diarmuid, Salthill yesterday was the most eye-catching result of the weekend. Signs that Tipperary are settling down to the new regime? And worrying for Galway that we saw such a collapse?
JOHN FOGARTY: Galway have so many to come back in, Fintan. The same argument may be made about Tipperary but they had to win yesterday to have any hope of reaching the final. Shane Bourke would have been told to go out and prove his display against Cork was a once-off. Having said that, I thought the pain of last year's quarter-final defeat would have propelled Galway a bit.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Went beyond worrying for Galway yesterday, even if John Mac played it down. Dublin could have beaten them as well last week. Big final round against Waterford, and a win will get them back on course.
JOHN FOGARTY: The seasonal return of Joe Canning in Walsh Park on Sunday week will be welcomed by one and all in Galway.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: It's not just personnel, however, it's attitude, and Galway were poor in that department. Joe won't be able to do much either about the concession of 4-23.
JOHN FOGARTY: Shane Kavanagh and Fergal Moore will. A setback for Galway but not a major one.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Their defence was poor, inside line especially, far too many opportunities conceded. The pair you mentioned John can't come back soon enough.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: 4-23 is some scoring by Tipperary. The two Bourkes - Pa and Shane - both appear in good shape. The former has had the pedigree since the 2006 All-Ireland minor final, the latter has really impressed for UCC in the Fitzgibbon Cup in recent years.
JOHN FOGARTY: What about Tipp? Aside from Gearoid Ryan moving to midfield and a vacancy appearing in the half-forward line, who's in the shake-up for the Cork game in Thurles. Bourke will surely have to prove yesterday was no once-off.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Gearoid took a little step back yesterday, I thought, but James Woodlock looks really hungry for action. Shane Bourke had a career day - how do you follow 3-4? They do look good though, very good, strong down the middle, pace in every line.
JOHN FOGARTY: Pa Bourke looks the option in the half-forward line but will have to keep in mind a Tipp-Cork Munster SHC game it's about substance, not style. He's been winning a lot of his own ball and shrugging markers off a lot easier.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: No Noel McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Seamus Callanan in that attack either yesterday.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Yesterday's results mean that there are five teams now in contention for league final placings entering the final weekend. Dublin showed real resolve on Saturday night to get a draw in what looked like wretched weather conditions.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: The only team with nothing to play for is Cork. Big result for Dublin, to dig out a draw against Kilkenny, but look who the Cats are waiting on - Jackie, John T, JJ, Tommy, Michael Rice, Henry, Richie Power. Dublin had to get that draw.
JOHN FOGARTY: 17 wides for Dublin. Resolve in this case can be confused with some awful shooting. That's 36 wides in two games now for Dublin. If they're denied a league final spot on Sunday week they can look at that tally and their collapse against Waterford in the first game.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: The real surprise yesterday was Wexford’s win.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: It breathes new life into the relegation scrap between Wexford and Offaly on Sunday week. Both teams have difficult trips though to Thurles and Nowlan Park.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: So much there for the final round, and look, ye saw it here first - Kilkenny won't have it all their own way against Offaly, even in Nowlan Park!
JOHN FOGARTY: Brian Cody has been considerably more animated on the sideline of late and you can see why - some of the decision-making by his young guns on Saturday evening was dreadful. Eddie Brennan had a thing or two to say to a couple of them.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Can't see Wexford taking Tipp though, just can't.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Still does look like Offaly will be safe, but yesterday will still be a boost for Wexford.
JOHN FOGARTY: Suddenly from nowhere, Division 1 has become fascinating. Can't see Wexford beating Tipp either but I'll jump Diarmuid on this and give predictions for Sunday week - Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Tipp, Kilkenny, Galway, Dublin!
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Below the top flight lads, Limerick have as expected made it ot the Division 2 final. Saturday's defeat to Laois a cause for concern for Clare though.
JOHN FOGARTY: Clare have to take a serious look at themselves after Saturday. Should still qualify for the final but that was a hugely disappointing result. Nowhere near Limerick right now.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Terrible result for Ger O'Loughlin's side, but a win in the last round against Carlow still puts them in the Division 2 final. Wouldn't be putting my house on that now though.
JOHN FOGARTY: Cody did something similar last year when he moved Jackie Tyrrell to centre-back. Just having a look at a couple of lads in different positions but there are serious concerns both in and outside the county they aren't where they should be - even if they will end up in a league final. They look very heavy-legged against Dublin.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Finally, the schools finals on Saturday saw another chapter of heartbreak for Limerick hurling?
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: Is staying calm in the face of adversity in the DNA in Kilkenny? Is panicking in the same position in the DNA in Limerick?
It was Ard Scoil's game, there for the taking - no-one to blame but themselves, unfortunately.
JOHN FOGARTY: Considering they were fancied, a bitter one for Ard Scoil Ris. Did they think they had it won after being ahead? Appears there will be plenty of fine hurlers for Limerick in the years to come, though.
FINTAN O’TOOLE: Árd Scoil Rís never repeated the form of earlier rounds but still showed the resilience and character to get into a winning position in the second-half.
DIARMUID O’FLYNN: A winning position isn't enough, you have to drive past the line; they didn't, Kieran's did. Credit to the Cats again, another All-Ireland title in the bag.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/1mDv1eUP-hA/post.aspx
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