Fitzmaurice was right to point out reality

I WAS delighted that Éamonn Fitzmaurice came out this week and challenged the ‘narrative’ that his team is a cynical one.

If today’s result goes pearshaped for him, I have no doubt that some will claim his remarks amount to evidence of how spooked Kerry have become in Dublin’s presence.

Nonsense. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Fitzmaurice did not attack Dublin’s integrity, he merely pointed out that they are a team that come with a hard edge.

It is a point I made on this page a couple of weeks ago, yet ever since Kerry’s draw with Dublin in Tralee there has been almost a sustained attempt to portray one team as hard-nosed cynics while the other are a ‘traditional’ ballplaying team.

It does not marry with the reality and in detailing a number of obvious incidents that have occurred in recent games, Fitzmaurice (below) was not seeking to embarrass or insult the AllIreland champions, but merely remind everyone that when you point the finger, there are always four more pointing back. It will add some more bite today in a game which Kerry would desperately love to win. It is not the be-all and end-all, but Fitzmaurice’s men need to sow some doubt in Dublin minds that this year will be different.

Will it happen? I just can’t see it. Kerry are still some way from full-strength and even if they were, Jim Gavin’s men are awesome.

They will seek to make a game of it, but Dublin have all the aces, not least on the bench, and they are likely to sprint clear down the straight.