Darragh Ó Sé believes favourites Kerry are at disadvantage over other counties
Kerry opened their All-Ireland campaign with a victory over Roscommon, triumphing 3-18 to 0-17 on Saturday, in Killarney. Other All-Ireland round-robin clashes included a Dublin win over Galway, 1-18 to 2-14, on the same day and a shock defeat for Mayo against Cavan, losing 1-17 to 1-14, on Sunday.
Ex-Kerry midfielder, Darragh Ó Sé, believes boss Pádraic Joyce will still be “happy enough” with Galway’s weekend despite the loss to the Dubs. The Kerry icon feels now is the time “to get battle-hardened”, and their loss to Dublin will do “more good in the long run” than their Connacht final win over Mayo.
Dublin’s match against Galway, and Armagh and Donegal’s clash in the Ulster final, are all recent fixtures where these teams have been “stress-tested in high-pressure situations”. Ó Sé thinks the Kingdom’s victory over Roscommon “isn’t going to be any good” for them.
Ó Sé saw “no sort of fight” from The Rossies. He is now worried that Kerry’s two toughest matches in recent times were a league final against Mayo, in March, and a game away in Cork in the Munster football Championship, in April.
The former Kerry legend is concerned about Kerry’s prospects, if they are into the final 10 minutes, in early July, in an All-Ireland semi final.
Ó Sé said: “…a wet night in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in April isn’t going to be much good to them.
“So when you hear fellas saying Kerry must be laughing at all these other counties killing each other, I honestly think it might be the other way around. Obviously, you don’t want to be going full-bore every day but some of these games are worth their weight in gold.”
Kerry have won only one of the past 10 All-Irelands. Ó Sé believes the tough fixtures that the likes of Galway, Dublin, Armagh, and Donegal have had helps them “know who’s up to it when the heat really comes on”. It also importantly helps “know who isn’t”.
Ó Sé said: “Kerry have a fair idea but they don’t know for sure. And by the time they find out, it might be too late.”
He added: “In reality, Kerry keep getting found out when it matters most.”
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