Question for Kerry Posters

[highorlow]

Is Sheehan on the team this year?

If so will he be the chief freetaker?

[bombidal]

Will be in the team for the Championship I would say. Chief Free taker, yes. Take all the frees, no. Gooch, Quill will take some.

[Kerry Mike]

He will be captain as well if he holds down a place on the team.

Is a fantastic long range free taker but needs to deliver on his potential to score more from play. Need to win more of his own ball too and as a big man should be capable of doing so, always seems to come accrossas being laid back and a bit lazy on the field.

[Square Ball]

Who do the Kerry ones see as the biggest threat to them retaining Sam?

[Kerry Mike]

Sq ball: I might sound a bit flippant to say Kerry themselves are their biggest threat but there are reasons. We've had a reasonable good spring, and I am sure training has been ratched up a few notches in recent weeks, but we have alot of unsolved variables, a new management, selectors and a coaching backroom team that is going to take time to bed in and earn the respect of the players, espeicailly some of the older panel members. Losing a full back and centre back over the winter will also take its toll, and we will just have to see how Rathmore's Tom O'Sullivan and Aidan O'Mahoney shape up to the championship heat in new positions. Also will the hunger and drive be there to succeed again in 2007, I hope it will be. Thanksfully there are no major injuries and if everything goes well and we get a run of luck we wont be far away from retaining Sam.

I would say Tyrone if they get a run going and get over some of their injuries will not be far away from Sam but that seems like a big "if" given McGuigan's latest setback.

Still think there might be a kick left in Mayo to push them over the winners line, if they get through to a final and they are not faced by Kerry they will win it, Donegal have put themselves up there as major contenders after a great league but have a tough battle to get out of Ulster on that side of the draw.

I dont see Armagh lasting the pace of a long summer, the Dubs too will be all hype and bluster but come the businiess end of the summer I dont think they will be around , well at least their league form is not indicating any major improvement. Cork too will push hard but there is something about them that does not inspire confidence. They lack consistancy for a long run to September and playing in Croke Park seems to spook them.

Of the Rest you can't discount Galway or Laois, they will put up brave performances but I think they  are lacking a killer finish, Meath might make a bit of a reappearance after being in hibernation for a few years but I dont see them winning Sam.

With respect to all the other counties I dont see a winner coming from anyone outside of those teams.
Would love another crack at Tyrone, but we will take it game by game and see where the draw takes us all. At the moment the fiocus has to be on trying to retain the Munster title. Going by yesterday it should be a long exciting summer.

[Jinxy]

Will Quill actually get a chance this year? Every year he is Kerrys main score-getter in the league and then he doesn't get a look in come championship. Plenty of counties would kill to have him.

[Kerry Mike]

Hard to know about Quill, he is the great enigma of recent Kerry football, he has played well again this year but he is yet to put in a good championship and until he does he will always be the bridemaid, but then Mike Frank Russell is still playing well and will give the 5th medal a big rattle before he retires and you have the Gooch factor too all vying for the 2 scoring corner forward roles.

Assuming Kieran Donaghy will regain full firness and stays at 14 when you add in all the following, and maybe one or two more, there will be some competition for the other the 3 forward positions come championship time. There are a few of them would get on most county teams.
Bryan Sheehan
Declan O'Sullivan
Paul Galvin
Eoin Brosnan
Sean O'Sullivan
Donnacha Walsh
Darren O'Sullivan
Kieran O'Leary

[magickingdom]

next time bryan sheehan is taking a free kick have a good look at it. he has the most beautiful kick of a dead ball that i have ever seen, its like watching a good golfers swing. i agree with most of km there but think armagh will give it one last go this year. remember with 5 minutes to go lasr year they were only 2 points behind kerry. they will have the hunger that kerry probably wont have. i really dont believe kerry will win it this year...

[Tatler Jack]

At the moment the fiocus has to be on trying to retain the Munster title.

Think Kerry Mike you mean regain. Your friendly neighbours are current champions

[SuperDooperCooper]

A lot of questions there but here goes:

1. Sheehan: Personally I don't think he is good enough to be on the team. A superb free taker but questions have to asked about his temperament. Missed a lot of scorable frees in the drawn Munster final and against Tyrone. I know he kicked the winner in the county final from just inside the county bounds but he has a question mark over him. Not contributing enough from open play either and seems to lack intercounty pace as a forward. My championship forward would be Sean O Sullivan, Brozie, Galvin, Gooch, Donaghy and MFR/Quill.

2. Quill: well worth a chance at this stage, question marks over his pace in the summer but only one way to find out thrown him in. Paddy Curran is next years big thing so it's now or never for Quill.

3. Biggest Threat: TYRONE.......I speak for all Kerry fans when I say we want another shot at Tyrone. Until we beat Tyrone a question will remain unanswered. Down are the only county Kerry have played but never beaten in the Championship (0/4) and while the record with Tyrone (1/2) is not as bad the longing to beat (this) Tyrone team is nearly as bad as Mayo's longing to beat us. Outside Tyrone take your pick Cork, Dublin, Armagh, Mayo don't think Donegal have done enough to be included in the elite group yet. Not the open championship everyone else is predicting.

As for us, the arrangements for the Munster final this year is a serious disadvantage to whoever wins. If Kerry beat Cork on July 1st it will be six weeks without a game. With no seeded draws for the quarter finals Kerry could have to play a battle hardened Dublin\Tyrone\Armagh side at that stage – some reward for winning the provincial title.
Way too early to say who will win it but we have to be favourites I'd say.

[J70]

A lot of questions there but here goes:

1. Sheehan: Personally I don't think he is good enough to be on the team. A superb free taker but questions have to asked about his temperament. Missed a lot of scorable frees in the drawn Munster final and against Tyrone. I know he kicked the winner in the county final from just inside the county bounds but he has a question mark over him. Not contributing enough from open play either and seems to lack intercounty pace as a forward. My championship forward would be Sean O Sullivan, Brozie, Galvin, Gooch, Donaghy and MFR/Quill.

2. Quill: well worth a chance at this stage, question marks over his pace in the summer but only one way to find out thrown him in. Paddy Curran is next years big thing so it's now or never for Quill.

3. Biggest Threat: TYRONE.......I speak for all Kerry fans when I say we want another shot at Tyrone. Until we beat Tyrone a question will remain unanswered. Down are the only county Kerry have played but never beaten in the Championship (0/4) and while the record with Tyrone (1/2) is not as bad the longing to beat (this) Tyrone team is nearly as bad as Mayo's longing to beat us. Outside Tyrone take your pick Cork, Dublin, Armagh, Mayo don't think Donegal have done enough to be included in the elite group yet. Not the open championship everyone else is predicting.

As for us, the arrangements for the Munster final this year is a serious disadvantage to whoever wins. If Kerry beat Cork on July 1st it will be six weeks without a game. With no seeded draws for the quarter finals Kerry could have to play a battle hardened Dublin\Tyrone\Armagh side at that stage – some reward for winning the provincial title.
Way too early to say who will win it but we have to be favourites I'd say.

While I wouldn't argue that Donegal "have done enough to be included in the elite group yet", what have Cork and Dublin done? Cork undeservedly beat a Donegal side last year missing its two best forwards and arguably our best overall player and relying on a few unproven newcomers, one of whom was rushed back half-fit from a nasty injury. Their subsequent performance against a motivated Kerry in the semi showed them up for what they are. The Dubs might have a stronger claim, but they've been found wanting every time they've come up against the likes of Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone and Armagh. The Dubs will never be badly beaten, but they have a lot to prove in a tight tough game against a top-level team.

[catchandkick]

Would agree with magickingdom and SuperDooper above, Sheehan is a fantastic kicker of a dead ball, but I think he is not athletic enough for modern day Gaelic Football. Donncha Walsh can be added to that category. A bit annoyed the way Pat O'Shea has brought back guys Jack O'Connor (rightly) discarded - Walsh, Paddy Kelly, Seamus Scanlon.

A nippy wing back like Aaron Kernan or Philip Jordan would kill Sheehan though, I dont think he is lazy as some people suggest but you have to be an athlete for county football these days, pure skillsmen go home! Great free taker though, best since Maurice Fitz I have seen.

Did he not break his leg recently though, thought I heard that?

Heard a story at weekend that Duagh beat the Mary's recently in Inter ch'ship. They even travelled down the night before for the game. A first in club football? Overnightstays within the same county?

Kerry are in a good position for this year, what would be your starting  15?

Murphy
M O'Se
O'Sullivan
K Young
T O'Se
O'Mahony
Guiney
D O'Se
Griffin
Galvin
D O'Sullivan
S O'Sullivan
Cooper
Donaghy
Russell

Same as last year pretty much, except for Moynihan and McCarthy. Not a big fan of Padraig Reidy would prefer Young and Guiney would be my choice wing back have seen him in training a lot have good time for him

As for the rest, Donegal would be my tip. Saw em against Kerry and was very imressive. Some great forwards Devenney, Toye, McFadden, Roper, Hegarty, Sweeney to bring on. You can get a team as fit as you like but if you have not players who can kick the ball over the bar where are you going! Thats what Donegal over the other contenders I think

I put 20 on Kerry @ 9/4 and 20 on Donegal @ 9/1 thatll hedge the bets nicely!

Longford for Leinster could be the Westmeath/Fermanagh fairy story of the summer?

Saw em against Kerry in Killarney last summer and thought they were a very good team

[SuperDooperCooper]

Guiney left the panel after the league.

[magickingdom]

As for us, the arrangements for the Munster final this year is a serious disadvantage to whoever wins. If Kerry beat Cork on July 1st it will be six weeks without a game. With no seeded draws for the quarter finals Kerry could have to play a battle hardened Dublin\Tyrone\Armagh side at that stage – some reward for winning the provincial title.

and theres the problem. what good did armaghs ulster titles do these past few years? it was a blessing that kerry lost to cork last year (cant believe im saying that). six weeks off for any team is the kiss of death

[Kerry Mike]

Losing Guiney is a loss, what was the issue.

It leaves us a bit bare for cover at the back with Moynihan, McCarthy and Fitzmaurice also retired.

Will be interesting to see Pat O'Shea's first championship line up in a few weeks.

Sheehan and Donaghy are still on the recovery table I believe but I hope both will be available come championship time.

Its would be a bit of a problem to be out for 6 weeks if we won Munster but I would prefer that route, and remember we have won all of of our quarter finals to date, so we will face into whatever challenge is thrown up.