Kerry V Cork 2pm Killarney

[twohands!!!]

First of the provincial finals.

Both sides usually name their teams on the Thursday night, so we should have word soon.

Kerry didn't exactly set the world on fire against Tipp while Cork seemed to benefit from the fact that Clare didn't have all that much in the way of lads who got put the ball over or under the bar missing 3 goal chances and notching 12 wides.

I have close to zero faith in Cork - Cuthbert seems to me to be a massive spoofer for the most part- Also to me the recall of O'Connor in midfield just reeks of desperation, this Cork team haven't a notion how to defend and I just don't think the management  team are remotely capable of pulling a rabbit from a bag that would spectacular enough to stun the Kerry folk. Their one slim hope is if the inside men get goals and plenty of them as the  this Cork defence constantly concedes big scores against top teams.

Kerry are a bit more of an interesting question - lots of folk missing throughout the league, a squad that looks decent but with some interesting questions hanging over them and the small matter of being the reigning All-Ireland champions of course, but it's one thing to have a decent squad and a whole other thing to sort them into a decent team. When it comes to Kerry under Fitzmaurice he has a fairly decent record in terms of getting the match-ups right so unless he makes a mess of things, I'd expect them to triumph.

The starters are done with, we're getting down to the main course now ( August and September are the desert the best part of the meal in my opinion)

[Zulu]

Yeah it's hard to see past Kerry in this one. In saying that Cork did put it up to Mayo last year and have decent footballers so anything is possible but you'd feel Kerry would need to have a notable off day for Cork to win.

[twohands!!!]

Yeah it's hard to see past Kerry in this one. In saying that Cork did put it up to Mayo last year and have decent footballers so anything is possible but you'd feel Kerry would need to have a notable off day for Cork to win.

Like even in the Mayo game Cork still conceded 1-19 (only 2 points less than the Kerry game.) Even in the Donegal game they won, a not 100% Donegal still scored 0-19 points.

Overall it looks like they have made zero in the way of progress in terms of sorting things out on the defensive end of things and if your defence is not up-to-snuff you might get away with it if you have talented forwards for a day or two but you're not to be winning championships.

All the omens point to a Kerry win for me.

[Zulu]

Ah yeah you couldn't make an argument for Cork but I think they'll have to have something up their sleeves, they can't go out man for man. They could go ultra defensive and Kerry have apparently dropped some big names for Sunday or at least that's the rumour.

[Frank Casey]

Cork Team Senior Football:

1. Ken O'Halloran (Bishopstown)

2. Michael Shields (St. Finbarr's) Capt.

3. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)

4. James Loughrey (Mallow)

5. Barry O'Driscoll (Nemo Rangers)

6. Brian O'Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)

7. Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers)

8. Alan O'Connor (St. Colum's)

9. Fintan Goold (Macroom)

10. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)

11. Donncha O'Connor (Ballydesmond)

12. Kevin O'Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)

13. Colm O'Neill (Ballyclough)

14. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)

15. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)

Subs:

16. Paddy O'Shea (St. Vincent's)

17. Jamie O'Sullivan (Bishopstown)

18. Noel Galvin (Ballincollig)

19. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)

20. Tomás Clancy (Fermoy)

21. Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)

22. Patrick Kelly (Ballincollig)

23. John Hayes (Carbery Rangers)

24. Colm O'Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)

25. Daniel Goulding (Éire Óg)

26. Donal Óg Hodnett (O'Donovan Rossa)

[Zulu]

4 man forward line? Collins and O'Driscoll to drop back as sweepers I suppose. Not bad on paper but a few fellas whose name is probably more impressive than their ability at this stage. In truth would many of the top teams desperately want any of the Cork players other than O'Neill and Hurley?

[twohands!!!]

That looks very much a lineup picked to avoid a hammering as opposed to one set up to go out and win it.

Could easily see that middle 8 for Cork struggling.

[Frank Casey]

Kerry Team :

1. Brendan Kealy Kilcummin
2. Fionn Fitzgerald Dr Crokes
3. Marc Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht
4. Shane Enright Tarbert
5. Jonathan Lyne Killarney Legion
6. Peter Crowley Laune Rangers
7. Killian Young Renard
8. David Moran Kerins O'Rahillys
9. Bryan Sheehan St Marys
10. Stephen O'Brien Kenmare
11. Johnny Buckley Dr Crokes
12. Donnchadh Walsh Cromane
13. Barry John Keane Kerins O'Rahillys
14. Kieran Donaghy (C) Austin Stacks
15. James O'Donoghue Killarney Legion
Fir Ionaid
16. Brian Kelly Killarney Legion
17. Colm Cooper Dr Crokes
18. Anthony Maher Duagh
19. Paul Geaney Dingle
20. Mark Griffin St Michaels/Foilmore
21. Michael Geaney Dingle
22. Aidan O'Mahony Rathmore
23. Darran O'Sullivan Glenbeigh-Glencar
24. Tommy Walsh Kerins O'Rahillys
25. Jack Sherwood Firies
26. Paul Murphy Rathmore

Additional Information:

Additional Squad Members

Paul Galvin Finuge
Alan Fitzgerald Castlegregory
Pa Kilkenny Glenbeigh/Glencar
Padraig O'Connor Killarney Legion
Philip O'Connor Cordal
Kieran O'Leary Dr Crokes (Recovering from an Achilles Tendon Injury)

Substitutes Bench -

The Kerry substitutes bench contains five players who started against Donegal in last year's All Ireland Final – Brian Kelly, Aidan O'Mahony, Paul Murphy, Anthony Maher and Paul Geaney.

Marc Ó Sé - Marc Ó Sé will play his 82nd Championship game for Kerry on Sunday thus surpassing his brother Darragh with whom he currently shares 81 Championship appearances for The Kingdom. Their other sibling, Tomás, played 88 championship games for Kerry which is a record.
Colm Cooper is in 4th position in the all time Kerry Championship appearances list on a mere 77!

The Lynes of Cleeney - A link with Sunday's game

The Lynes of Cleeney, within earshot of the Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, are a very well known footballing family who played their Club Football with Killarney Legion. Denny, Jackie and Fr Mickey all won All Irelands with Kerry at senior level – and Denny captained Kerry in the Polo Grounds final in '47, a game in which Jackie also played. Jackie went on to train Kerry to 2 All Ireland titles in '69 and '70. Their sister, Maura, married Tom Spillane and was of course mother of Pat, Mick and Tom of Kerry Golden Years fame - Sunday's No. 5 Jonathan Lyne is a grandson of Denny Lyne. Jonathan, who made his Championship debut against Clare in 2012, and made his full championship debut against Tipperary in this year's semi final, started in all of Kerry's seven AFL games this season.

[twohands!!!]

Well that's a fairly decent subs bench. 

No Cooper starting is the big one. What does it mean? What does it mean?
For me Maher not featuring is a mite odd - hard to not see him featuring at some stage - But then you look at him and you look at the Cork options for midfield on the subs bench and you consider Alan O'Connor missed the league and wasn't playing intercounty for 2 years and it's hard not to see Cork struggling down the home stretch - bringing him on for the last 25 minutes with fresh legs and eager to prove a point might well be a masterstroke.
BJK starting definitely a surprise - would have Paul Geaney ahead of him all day long but Geaney does seem to have a tendency to pick up knocks and injuries.
D Walsh being back is a serious plus in terms of the half-forward line - I think he's one of the few players you can say Kerry definitely miss when he's not on the pitch.

I'm expecting early subs with that bench - anyone who isn't performing from the gun will be hooked fairly quickly.
Also for all the talk of All-Ireland winners plus Cooper back plus Tommy Walsh back plus Galvin back, 2 of them are on the bench and one isn't even in the 26.

Intriguing as the man says.

[Maroon Manc]

4 man forward line? Collins and O'Driscoll to drop back as sweepers I suppose. Not bad on paper but a few fellas whose name is probably more impressive than their ability at this stage. In truth would many of the top teams desperately want any of the Cork players other than O'Neill and Hurley?

I doubt the Mayo management would say no to  Kerrigan, D O'Connor or even Goulding.

[twohands!!!]

4 man forward line? Collins and O'Driscoll to drop back as sweepers I suppose. Not bad on paper but a few fellas whose name is probably more impressive than their ability at this stage. In truth would many of the top teams desperately want any of the Cork players other than O'Neill and Hurley?

I doubt the Mayo management would say no to  Kerrigan, D O'Connor or even Goulding.

You could make a strong case for D O'Connor, but he's staring down the barrel of a gun in terms of his age and doesn't have long left given he's almost 35 now. Lovely footballer.

You'd be fairly hard pushed it to make a case for Kerrigan - has flattered to deceive for a long while now and has been consistently inconsistent - his use of the ball and distribution is still a total lottery in what he will do when he gets the ball - Being unpredictable means he can be a bother for defenders with his pace but can also be a bother for his own team-mates in terms of where to move.

As for Goulding - he's still living off his reputation for his MOTM performance in the All-Ireland in 2010 despite the fact that 7 of the 9 points he got that day were from deadballs. What has he done since then. The grand sum total of feck all. Mayo would look over at Cillian O'Connor look back at Goulding and burst their arse laughing.

O'Neill and Hurley are the blue chip players  but beyond that you have a large lot of very average looking footballers there for a county of Cork's size.

[Zulu]

Agree, O'Connor might bring something to a squad this year but his days are numbered. The other two? Not a chance.

[Bod Mor]

4 man forward line? Collins and O'Driscoll to drop back as sweepers I suppose. Not bad on paper but a few fellas whose name is probably more impressive than their ability at this stage. In truth would many of the top teams desperately want any of the Cork players other than O'Neill and Hurley?

I doubt the Mayo management would say no to  Kerrigan, D O'Connor or even Goulding.

And Shields, and Cadagan.

[highorlow]

Not so sure we should be writing off the langers here. I'd say that team has another push in them. They will love this underdog tag and coming in under the radar. O'Neill, Hurley, Kerrigan and O'Connor make a formidable and robust forward line. The langers are a big price at 5/2.

[Maroon Manc]

4 man forward line? Collins and O'Driscoll to drop back as sweepers I suppose. Not bad on paper but a few fellas whose name is probably more impressive than their ability at this stage. In truth would many of the top teams desperately want any of the Cork players other than O'Neill and Hurley?

I doubt the Mayo management would say no to  Kerrigan, D O'Connor or even Goulding.

You could make a strong case for D O'Connor, but he's staring down the barrel of a gun in terms of his age and doesn't have long left given he's almost 35 now. Lovely footballer.

You'd be fairly hard pushed it to make a case for Kerrigan - has flattered to deceive for a long while now and has been consistently inconsistent - his use of the ball and distribution is still a total lottery in what he will do when he gets the ball - Being unpredictable means he can be a bother for defenders with his pace but can also be a bother for his own team-mates in terms of where to move.

As for Goulding - he's still living off his reputation for his MOTM performance in the All-Ireland in 2010 despite the fact that 7 of the 9 points he got that day were from deadballs. What has he done since then. The grand sum total of feck all. Mayo would look over at Cillian O'Connor look back at Goulding and burst their arse laughing.

O'Neill and Hurley are the blue chip players  but beyond that you have a large lot of very average looking footballers there for a county of Cork's size.

I'd take Kerrigan & O'Connor ahead Doherty, Andy Moran, Ronaldson & Diarmuid O'Connor.

Individually Cork have a lot of outstanding footballers unfortunately for  them collectively they under performed for far too long now. Its easy to blame the management but in this case I would, tactically Counihan & Cuthbert appear to be way out of their depth.