The League matters but not much

A League title would be gratefully accepted but the ‘red line’ dates for Kerry are all in July, August and September writes Paul Brennan

YOU forget most of the time and then you’re reminded every now and again. Like last week when Aidan O’Mahony announced his retirement from inter-county football and his roll of honour came attached to the press release.

O’Mahony won three National League medals in his time with Kerry. His last was 2009, which was, needless to say, Kerry’s last. The All-Ireland title came to the Kingdom that year too, but since then – as if we need reminding – the Sam Maguire has been claimed just once. That’s just one national title out of an available 14 since 2010.

For a county with 19 League and 37 All-Ireland titles that’s quite a barren stretch, with the 2014 All-Ireland the only peak on an otherwise flat landscape.

It’s an accepted fact that the Championship and All-Ireland titles are the only currency worth spending in Kerry. Apropos O’Mahony’s retirement, all the news bulletins referenced his five All-Irelands, eight Munster medals and two All Stars, but barely a mention of his three League medals.

Much and all as players and management teams want to win games and titles, it’s also an accepted fact that for a county like Kerry, a National League title, if won, is merely a means to an end, that end being the third Sunday in September.

As this year’s season starts in earnest next weekend with lift-off in the League, Kerry – and the rest of the genuine All-Ireland contenders (Dublin, Mayo and maybe Tyrone) – will be taking a certain approach to the competition and the next two and a half months.

Dublin, as League champions for the last four years, will, understandably, be keen to make it five in a row and keep their winning streak going. Indeed, three of those League titles have been followed by All-Ireland success the following September so Jim Gavin’s team will see an obvious correlation between doing well in the spring and being top of the pile in the autumn.

Mayo, without a NFL title since the 2000/01 season, might feel the platform of April silverware could be the springboard to that elusive September success. For all the forensics into why the holy grail still eludes the Connacht men, has anyone up there decided that maybe a League title would be the perfect key to unlock their Championship shortcomings? Precious little else has worked for Mayo in getting to the Promised Land so a concerted effort to win a League title could, and perhaps should, be a priority for Stephen Rochford.

Tyrone, back-to-back League winners in 2002 and 2003, are newly promoted to Division One having dropped a rung on the League ladder in 2015, and Mickey Harte will doubtless was to use the League to continue rebuilding Tyrone for the summer ahead.

From Kerry’s perspective the League is, as it always is, the manufacturing plant and testing ground for the team before it hits the showroom in summer.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice will be less interested in winning the League title number 20 and more concerned with constructing a team and panel capable of beating Dublin, something Kerry have achieved only once in the seven meetings - League and Championship - that Fitzmaurice has been in charge since 2013.

That Kerry have won only one of the last four League meetings is frustrating, but it’s the recent Championship record between the

counties that jars in the Kingdom and, quite clearly, that’s the only itch Kerry want to – must – scratch this year.

With that very much in mind, then, what can we expect from Kerry in the seven-game League between here and early April? It goes without saying that first and foremost the management will be looking to win every game ‘winning becomes a habit’, etc, etc - but while that’s an obvious aspiration it doesn’t automatically follow if particular players and formations and tactics are being tried out with a long-term vision in mind.

Trying certain players in certain positions with a view to the summer might mean a win or two is sacrificed in the spring, but if the management feel they have brought a player or two up to Championship standard then the League will have served its purpose.

Even though Fitzmaurice said recently he’s never really before had the same strong panel available at this stage of the year, Kerry will be without some big names for tghe first couple of games.

Colm Cooper, Johnny Buckley, Fionn Fitzgerald, Anthony Maher, Bryan Sheehan, Darran O’Sullivan, Kieran Donaghy, Stephen O’Brien and, of course, Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O’Mahony is a lot of experiece to be missing heading to Letterkenny on Sunday, while only O’Brien (hamstring injury) has a chance of being available for the visit of Mayo the following weekend.

Of course, that means opportunities for others, including whatever U-21 players the seniors use in those first two matches. The west Kerry quartet of Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan, Barry O’Sullivan and Conor Geaney are most likely to see action in Donegal and then Tralee, along with Ballydonoghue duo Jason Foleyn and Brian Ó Seanacháin.

Jack Barry, Jack Savage, Adrian Spillane and Conor Keane are other new-ish faces we can expect to see something of.

This year the League has dispensed with the semi-finals, meaning it’s a straight final for the top two with the bottom two, as normal, dropping down.

Despite their impressive showing last year, including a win over Kerry in Killarney, it’s hard ot make a case for Roscommon staying in the top-flight after this campaign, and newly promoted Cavan have to be tipped to go back down to Division Two.

With four home games this year, including Dublin, Kerry have to be fancied to finish in the top two, especially given their three away games are to Roscommon, Cavan and a very inexperienced Donegal side.

Dublin must be fancied to qualify for the final again, but Mayo also with four home games - could be the team to prevent a repeat of the 2016 League final.

Whether it’s one meeting or two, Kerry will be anxious to beat Dublin in the springtime, but it won’t be the be all and end all if they don’t. The only games that matter for Kerry are the ones in Croke Park in August and September, by which time the League won’t mean a thing.