OAK LEAFERS SO HARDCOR
Derry adding x-factor as Dubs dither but Dessie’s playing it cool
WITH the inter-county season now truly well up and running, here are five talking points to have emerged from last weekend.
IS CORMAC MURPHY BRINGING
THE X-FACTOR TO DERRY?
The biggest talking point from Derry’s win over Tyrone was always going to be Mickey Harte getting one over on his native county, but what about how the two-in-a-row Ulster champions’ All-ireland prospects have been served by their fast start to the League?
Derry’s talent pool might be shallow compared to other contenders but there’s room for emerging talent – and Cormac Murphy has shown up well so far.
He is an aggressive runner, has good balance and can kick a score.
In an attack that has been too dependent on Shane Mcguigan, his emergence could be just what Derry need to kick on this year.
JUSTIN MCNULTY CONUNDRUM
Mcnulty’s return to the Laois job after 10 years last October did seem an odd appointment given that he was combining it with his job as a full-time politician.
And the rubber hit the road last weekend when the Northern Ireland Assembly reconvened and Mcnulty left Stormont early to make the dash to Wexford for his side’s second round League game, which they won by 10 points to maintain their perfect start in Division Four.
Mcnulty’s party, the SDLP, nailed its colours to the mast by quickly suspending the MLA for leaving without permission having previously expressed misgivings about his combining both roles.
Clearly, something has to give.
WEXFORD MAINTAIN KILKENNY
HEX
For the first 18 seasons of Brian Cody’s Kilkenny reign, Wexford could barely lay a glove on them, with Cody suffering just two defeats, one each in League (2000) and Championship (2004).
Moreover, Kilkenny didn’t tend to just beat them, they routinely dished out hidings, which new Wexford boss Keith Rossiter was often on the receiving end of during his playing days.
The rivalry was finally reignited with Davy Fitzgerald’s appointment in Wexford ahead of the 2017 season and Cian Byrne’s late equalising goal on Sunday meant that Kilkenny have won just two of the last nine League and Championship meetings between the counties.
DUBLIN RELEGATION PROSPECTS
Dublin have become the first Allireland champions to lose their opening two League games since Kerry in 2010 and it opens up the possibility of Dessie
Farrell’s side making the drop for the second time in three seasons.
The last time the reigning All-ireland champions were relegated was back in 2013, when Donegal were demoted.
This time last year Dublin toiled a little in Division Two but went on to win the All-ireland.
Judging by his comments in the aftermath of Saturday’s one-point loss to Mayo, Farrell (inset) isn’t too perturbed as to whether they stay up or not.
“We have been in Division Two and it worked out well for us,” he said. “Were not going to put a gun to our own heads in terms of Division One status being crucial or paramount to us.”
PROMOTION FROM DIVISION
THREE MAY NOT BRING CHAMPIONSHIP REPRIEVE
For the second year running, there’s a live possibility that the top two teams in Division Three will have to make do with the Tailteann Cup this summer.
Kildare are in the Division Two drop zone but if they were to suffer relegation, they could still avoid the Tailteann Cup by reaching a Leinster final, which is doable as Dublin are on the other side of the draw.
That would then knock out the Division Three runners-up, while the Division Three winners would be next in the firing line if, say, Clare were to come through and reach another Munster final, which is a most likely outcome with only the winners of Tipperary-waterford in their path.
Of course, with one win from two games, Clare are still in the hunt for promotion from Division Three themselves.