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Former Kerry player David Moran feels Mayo may get some sort of psychological boost out of an infamous billboard depicting Jack O’Connor as a bride and Andy Moran as a bridesmaid.
The sign featuring the All-Ireland final’s opposing managers was placed between Killarney and Killorglin in the Kingdom, stating:
‘Jack, best of luck on your big day. Andy… always the bridesmaid.’
O’Connor requested the removal of the sign, stating he ‘didn’t see much fun in it’, with Moran comparing to Joe Brolly’s infamous comment in 2014 that the Kerry production line was finished, referenced post match by All-Ireland final goalscorer Kieran Donaghy:
“I’d say they would’ve given Jack a good slagging anyway! No, look, there’s a line there and whether people thought it was crossed. I think the players will just try to not go there. They have too much to be worried about in the week into an All-Ireland to be thinking like that.
“I’m sure some people might use it, I’m sure Mayo would probably use it as motivation, but we’ve used that before, some of the Joe Brolly stuff, that some guys would use that at the time that people are being written off.
“I think it’ll affect the Mayo side of things more than the Kerry side for the players in the sense that this is maybe perceived - it isn’t - but below in Kerry, this is perceived how we’re thought of going into finals and stuff and that we want to prove that wrong and stuff.”
On the match itself, The Irish News’ Monday Club pundits Stefan Campbell and Cahair O’Kane foresee a duel between Jason Foley and Kobe McDonald.
Read more: The Monday Club: Boom or bust for Mayo high-wire act in All-Ireland Championship final with Kerry
Moran, who retired from Kerry duty with three All-Irelands in 2022, sees things differently:
“I think personally, he should go on Ryan O’Donoghue because I think Ryan O’Donoghue is the best player Mayo have at the moment. You know, if you shut him down, I think you’re a long way there.
“He’s been hugely influential. I think he makes them tick coming out. It’s just the balance between when he goes out and full forward, centre forward, out around the middle, how far does Jason go, and making sure that we don’t leave someone free out there.
“For me, if it was me, I’d put him on Ryan O’Donoghue, but that’s the way I do it.”
In that case, who is the man for Kobe McDonald?
“Paul Murphy obviously did very well in Tralee (in Kerry’s league win), but it’s not as if you’re leaving a weak player in the other corner.
“(Darragh) Beirne in the other corner, is very, very strong. It’s going to be horses for courses. Again, it depends on who’s starting and who’s going well in training. It’s very, very difficult because of the injuries too.”
Much talk has centred around the possible return of All-Ireland senior club champion Tom O’Sullivan or All-Ireland intermediate club champion Brían Ó Beaglaoich in the full-back line, with the Kerins O’Rahilly’s club man claiming he’d be ‘surprised if they all didn’t play some part’ in relation to Kerry’s full-back line options.
He went on to back former teammate Paul Murphy, who won man of the match in the 2014 decider:
“He’s a real players’ player. He’s hugely popular in the set-up. I think he’s really rated by all the players. He’s very versatile. I played with him, he was in the forwards even for one year or two. He’s done an incredible job, even from his first year marking Ryan McHugh in an All-Ireland final.
“I think every year Paul is nearly in the shake-up to be captain. He just does everything right.”
Moran expects his comrades to come good when all is said and done:
“I think that’s going to be a good match. So I think they’re going to set up well and push up. I think it’ll force Kerry into maybe a higher-paced game, which might suit them.
“I think Kerry are going to win down the stretch, but I’d expect it to be close midway through the second half.”
