All to play for at
IT’S a concept which has divided opinion in equal measures. It’s been seen as elitist by some, exciting by some others and already it has had some teething problems.
But it is what it is and at this stage there’s no real point in getting bogged down on the merits or otherwise of its make up, even if, the definition of home and neutral venues as far as Dublin are concerned has brought a whole new meaning to the word equality.
With games coming thick and fast, and, the current spell of weather adding to the many challenges which must be faced, all of the teams will be entering into new territory and while the preparation of all eight teams will be pretty detailed the format is going to throw up different scenarios such as injuries and suspensions which will have an impact over such a short span of time.
Not much time therefore to deliberate on matters with the emphasis being on hitting the ground running given that, a win in the opening game will probably be paramount towards progressing to the semi-final stage of the championship.
So Kerry’s opening game against Galway on this coming Sunday could be pivotal on many fronts not least on who might ultimately end up as winners of the group, which is likely to see that particular team probably avoid Dublin in the semi-final.
However, at the moment all such type of speculation is mere conjecture and Kerry for their part will be concentrating solely on getting the right result against Galway. The results and the level of the performances against both Clare and Cork have heightened expectations in the Kingdom, maybe, to somewhat unrealistic proportions, even if, there are reasons to feel encouraged.
The manner of Tyrone’s win over Cork last weekend has put an entirely different complexion on Kerry’s Munster final win. Galway were beaten just once in both the league and championship to date this season with that sole loss coming against Dublin in the League final.
So they will present a much more formidable challenge than Kerry have already faced to date in this season’s campaign. Some opinion suggests that Galway might struggle in the wide open spaces of Croke Park if they continue with a defensive based format.
No guarantee that they will pursue that particular type of strategy and with a lot of pace in all sectors of the pitch, they are well capable of matching Kerry if it develops into a run and gun affair.
Certainly in the league game between the sides in Tralee when lanes of attack opened up Galway capitalised with penetrating pace and some clinical finishing. So, it’s a big challenge for Kerry, but one which they