5 FORWARDS TO WREAK HAVOC

AS the Championship looms, one certainty is that within a few weeks – probably after a lowscoring arm-wrestle in Ulster – there will be hysteria in The Sunday Game studio as the death of Gaelic football is proclaimed, killed by massed defences. There will be a lament for an age of three-man full-forward lines when the nets supposedly bulged from one end of summer to the other.

There’s still room for attacking genius within the tight confines of the modern game and here is a list of five forwards who can conjure some moments of magic over the coming months

Conor McManus (Monaghan)

He had a poor League campaign, apparently. Certainly, by his own standards, the Clontibret magician didn’t have a memorable spring although Jack McCarron emerged from his few years of injury hell to lighten the load.

And yet, even in an average campaign, McManus still produced some jaw-dropping moments. Think of his audacious injury-time point from tight to the left corner of MacHale Park that sealed the win over Mayo on the opening night, or the composure displayed to bury a last-minute penalty against Donegal and steal an unlikely draw in Ballyshannon.

Accurate off both feet, powerful and blessed with sublime skill, even when double-marked (or triple-marked), he always finds a way to split the posts.

If Monaghan are to break into the All-Ireland’s last four this year, they will need McManus re-capturing his 2015 form. Few would bet against him doing so.

Paul Geaney (Kerry)

The Sliding Doors moment of the 2016 Football Championship came in the 66th minute of last August’s enthralling semi-final between Dublin and Kerry when Éamonn Fitzmaurice made the perplexing decision to substitute Paul Geaney. Who knows what would have happened if the Dingle sharp-shooter, who had already bagged 1-4 that afternoon, remained on the pitch considering he had been troubling the Dublin full-back line when getting adequate supply.

James O’Donoghue’s return to the Kingdom team is eagerly-anticipated, and if he has overcome his shoulder problems, there is a sense he could form a lethal tag team with Geaney. But make no mistake, Geaney is now the main man.

It took a while to convince the Kerry public that he can carry the county’s hopes but his goal in the opening moments of the 2014 AllIreland final, his first Championship goal, was a sign he had arrived. It displayed all that is good about Geaney’s game – good in the air, strong in possession and a lust for netting goals.

Geaney is central to Kerry’s hopes of lifting Sam Maguire.

Paul Mannion (Dublin)

The perception is that a vacancy may appear in the Dublin full-forward line over the course of this summer as Bernard Brogan’s place is no longer guaranteed.

And Mannion appears well placed to step into the breach. The Kilmacud Crokes man took some time to find his feet last year, after taking 12 months away from the panel to study in China. He announced his return when coming off the bench against Donegal to score a stunning goal that sealed the All-Ireland quarter-final. It has led many observers to believe that Mannion is being under-used by Dublin’s management.

His composure was again to the fore in Tralee last March when he scored the equalising point in injury-time to ensure Dublin kept their unbeaten record intact.

His calmness under pressure is what the All-Ireland champions will need this summer.

Patrick McBrearty (Donegal)

McBrearty is still only 23 but he is already facing into his seventh Championship season and with that there are some questions about his consistency.

When the Kilcar native is good, there isn’t a more potent inside-forward in the country. His performance against Cork in Croke Park was the individual display of last summer, with analysts pointing out an almost flawless performance by a strike-forward.

On the afternoons when he is good, he strikes fear in every defence. But on the afternoons when his radar is off, he can look quite ordinary.

However, with Michael Murphy residing further out the field this summer – in light of Neil Gallagher’s retirement and Odhrán MacNiallais opting off the panel – there will be an even greater onus on McBrearty to deliver for Donegal. If he can thrive under that pressure, with a supporting cast of young players such as Jamie Brennan and Michael Carroll, it could be a long and fruitful summer for the men from the north-west.

Damien Comer (Galway)

Although a case can be made for either of the Mayo O’Connor brothers making the list, it is hard to look past Galway’s powerful targetman.

Since winning an All-Ireland Under 21 title in 2014, Comer has added a few strings to his bow. He remains a powerful, physical presence in front of goals with an innate ability to sniff out goal chances, but he has also worked at developing his footballing skills and has become a more rounded player as a result.

With the sublime Shane Walsh providing the bullets from centreforward (and with the prospect of Michael Meehan coming off the bench to weave his magic for 20minute spells), Galway boast attacking riches that are the envy of most counties in Ireland.

And in Comer, they have the sort of finisher who can ensure all their flowing, attacking moves won’t go to waste.

Geaney is Kerry’s main man and Dublin need Mannion’s composure