Irish Daily Mirror

KINGDOM TO THE FOUR

Larry expects Dublin’s grip on All-ireland to loosen as Kerry’s rising stars mature

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY BY MICHAEL SCULLY

LARRY TOMPKINS predicts the new wave of Kerry stars can drown Dublin’s four in a row ambitions next month.

Tompkins, the ex-kildare and Cork attacking ace who went on to manage the Rebels, was in charge of the UCC freshers team a few years back.

When the notice for trials for the panel went up, 350 hopefuls turned up – and the first ones in line were the nine Kerry minors who had just won the All-ireland.

Eamon Fitzmauric­e has now blooded a number of them and Tompkins insists that inexperien­ce won’t hold them back as they try to end Dublin’s Championsh­ip dominance.

“They’re from Kerry,” stated Tompkins. “They did it in ‘75 – they came with a young team.

“If they were from any other county I’d certainly agree, but Kerry believe they in their ability, they have confidence – and it’s killing them that Dublin are going for four in a row.

“I like Dublin, but I just think with Kerry, there’s a big move there this year.”

Tompkins stumbled by accident across the Kerry panel training at Fota Island in early April, when he went there to watch his son play a match.

“I seen these 30 fellas on a bank,” he recalled. “They were like fellas dragged through the mines or the gutter.

“They had met that morning in Killarney at nine o’clock, didn’t know where they were going. Went to Cork. Had a fella from the army, had been training the army guys in physical fitness. Put them through a four-hour stint of running.

“They weren’t fit to talk. I said to myself, ‘They mean business’.

RESPECT is the first thing Cork footballer­s must regain if they’re to take the road to recovery.

That’s the strong view of former star player and manager Larry Tompkins (left), who was dismayed by the recent

“Their mindset is right. Their body language is good.”

The two-time All-ireland winner isn’t convinced the Dubs are too happy to play outside Croke and reckons their Omagh date with Tyrone in the Super Eights could tell a lot.

“It’s a different ball game, a tighter pitch,” Tompkins said.

“Dublin have won the last three All-ireland but they’ve won them by a point. Mayo probably beat themselves the last two years.

“Dublin are picking up a couple of injuries now. We saw last year they were in trouble, introduced (Kevin) Mcmanamon, Diarmuid Connolly.

“Do they have the old heads coming off the bench that are as good as what they were, which make a huge difference to the team?

“It will be a big ask of them to win four in a row.”

humiliatio­ns against Kerry and Tyrone.

“It would have to be (the lowest point),” said Tompkins. “The last day was worse than the Munster final, and that was hard to comprehend.

“Just basic things like the level of fitness wasn’t

there, and you just can’t have guys who aren’t able to move.

“You’d just be worried that a lot of the players aren’t at that level that I’m talking about.”

“There’s no speedy recovery to this. Cork have to gain respect.”

 ??  ?? GAINING MOMENTUM Kerry’s Paul Geaney celebrates scoring a goal in last month’s Munster Football Championsh­ip final
GAINING MOMENTUM Kerry’s Paul Geaney celebrates scoring a goal in last month’s Munster Football Championsh­ip final

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