Forget about Leinster – it’s a dead duck

THE most interesting aspect to the build-up to today’s Leinster football final focused on whether Stephen Cluxton was fit to play or not. The fact that he has been selected to start prevents the rest of us getting a glimpse into a Dublin future without their influential goalkeeper. His absence might have given the chasing pack that bit of hope for a time when he finally does decide to hang up his gloves.

It’s a huge honour to lift the Sam Maguire. And an even greater honour to lift it twice – only seven footballers in history have done that. Cluxton (below) has lifted it four times, which is just extraordinary. He is an incredible footballer who has changed the way the game is played.

For all the novelty of a Dublin team without Cluxton, it wouldn’t have changed the result. Leinster is the least competitive province in the country and has been for some time. Dublin are going for 13 out of 14 Leinster titles this afternoon. I wonder how much value these players now place on those Leinster medals, given they are winning them every year.

The funny thing is that the province would be the most competitive if Dublin were taken out of the equation as all the other teams are on the same level. But that can’t disguise the fact that Leinster is now a dead duck and that opens another can of worms about the Championship being restructured. Or are the GAA going to let Dublin keep picking up Leinster titles from now until eternity.

John Sugrue, my former trainer with Kerry, has done an outstanding job in getting Laois into this final. He’s an impressive character. He has been living in Laois for a while now but that didn’t stop him travelling down to South Kerry and leading them to a county championship three years ago.

He’s very organised in his thinking and approach to the game. I remember when Pat O’Shea brought him in as physical trainer with Kerry in 2007. He was young at the time, the same age as Tomás. Many of our players at the time, like Darragh, were older than him. But that didn’t matter to John. He set about getting us in prime condition. And we were in great shape for those two years.

I’m sure Laois will be chomping at the bit for a cut at the Dubs but having that South Kerry mentality, I know John is a realist as well. I can see his Laois side put it up to them for 50 minutes but there is no stopping this Dublin team.