The Kerry defence has been worryingly devoid of leadership since the closing rounds of the league, according to former Kingdom footballer Seán O’Sullivan.

Strange one, this. Very strange.

Roscommon finished their Super 8s campaign on a positive note with this three-point win over Cork.

Ronan McCarthy has taken umbrage with those who class this weekend’s Super 8 fixture between Cork and Roscommon as a dead-rubber.

A come-from-behind second-half effort secured Tyrone their second win of the Super 8s series and, in the process, all but guaranteed themselves an All-Ireland semi-final berth.

Cork will have again travelled up the M8 by bus yesterday in preparation for taking on Tyrone this evening in Croke Park.

After Cork’s 16-point shellacking at the hands of Tyrone in O’Moore Park 12 months ago, Ronan McCarthy stood defiantly in the tunnel and declared he knew the way forward.

Cork is not a county that trades in moral victories and yet Ronan McCarthy's footballers can take plenty of positives from an ultimately convincing 13-point defeat to the five-in-a-row chasing All-Ireland champions this evening.

James Loughrey pondered whether it was worth continuing to play football for Cork. In the days and weeks following their tame championship exit at the hands of Tyrone, last July, retirement heavily weighed on the full-back’s mind.

While Cork’s victory on Saturday may not have come as a surprise the gulf in class certainly was. Cork produced their best display of the year to add to the evidence that they are heading in the right direction.

Cork will spend the next two weekends in Croke Park after comfortably securing their place in the Super 8s with this emphatic 14-point dismissal of Laois.

Self-pity over bad luck and refereeing decisions has cost Cork in the past, Donncha O’Connor believes.

Kerry may have a chance to exact revenge on Galway in Fitzgerald Stadium, in Killarney, on July 13 or 14, but David Moran is not sure it’s an advantage for the Munster champions to have their home game first day out this year.

We all know the biggest bugbear about GAA officiating is inconsistency and there was a classic case of it in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday. For the same infringement, Anthony Nolan made three different calls.

Cork manager Ronan McCarthy refused to be drawn on the performance of referee Anthony Nolan, remarking that he’d be “better off” holding his counsel where the man in the middle is concerned.

Just 18,265 souls, the worst crowd for a Cork-Kerry Munster SFC final in 36 years, were treated to entertainment if anything else as the challengers gave Kerry their biggest test in four years.

Cork have handed out three championship debuts for Saturday’s Munster SFC semi-final against Limerick in Páirc Uí Rinn.

That Kiskeam walked off the Glantane pitch last night to a huge applause said it all.

County champions St Finbarr’s consolidated top spot in the Rochestown Park Hotel Division 1 football league following another impressive display.

Ronan McCarthy has included four league debutants for Cork's Division 2 opener against Fermanagh.

The conversation with Ronan McCarthy is almost four minutes old when the performance of Ruairí Deane is brought up.

The Cork senior hurling management may have to plan for the early rounds of the championship without Newtownshandrum’s Tim O’Mahony, who picked up a suspected fractured elbow over the weekend.

Former Cork manager Billy Morgan has admitted he’d like Tomas Ó Sé to manage the county at some stage - but can’t see it happening.

The bullish chap that he is, Seán Powter has no hesitation in proclaiming that promotion from Division 2 is the short-term goal for Cork footballers this year.

Mallow hurlers suffered heartbreak in the Cork Premier IHC final, but there was joy for their supporters yesterday as their footballers showed tremendous character to be crowned Premier IFC champions at the newly revamped Páirc Uí Chaoimh. 

Cork football captain Paul Kerrigan acknowledges that the current side are probably third in importance behind the county hurlers and the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the minds of Leeside fans.

Historically, Cork supporters usually reserve hints of departing the scene of a football crime at half-time for days of trimmings at the hands of Kerry.

The current reality of Cork football is that they take the wins as and when they come. 

Today’s Munster semi-final marks the 25th game of Peadar Healy’s spell as Cork manager. Here is a chequered reign in numbers, as tallied by Eoghan Cormican

One massive performance and victory against Tipp will guarantee Peadar Healy’s charges a place in the last 12 of the All-Ireland series.

Déise boss Tom McGlinchey hopes Saturday’s brave showing against Cork will make Waterford football an easier sell to players not involved in the county set-up. 

We’ve been told that Cork’s priorities this spring centre on winning matches and getting their best 15 players on the field as often as possible. After that, promotion will look after itself. Or so we’re told.

Stephen Cronin, Patrick Kelly, and Colm O’Neill come into the Cork side for today’s qualifier clash with Donegal in Croke Park (4pm).