Tierney lays into ‘over-hyped’ Rebels

CORK footballers have been dismissed as “over-hyped, ineffective and hugely disappointing” but are still one of 10 teams who could win the All-Ireland this year.

So says former Armagh goalkeeper, Benny Tierney, who also labelled the 2009 championship as being of “absolute mediocrity”, with Kerry emerging victorious despite being a team that was “nowhere near its’ best”.

An All-Ireland winner in 2002, Tierney also predicts that the winner of the Ulster championship may come from outside of the Armagh-Tyrone axis, for the first time since 1998, when Derry beat Donegal in the final, while adding that anyone who believes that the collective training ban was observed must also believe in the tooth fairy.

It is Tierney’s comments about the Munster champions, and to a lesser extent, the All-Ireland winners that stand out however.

“My overriding memory of last year’s championship was its absolute mediocrity and that’s being very kind,” he said this week.

“It was eventually won by a team which was quite simply nowhere near its best but saw off Cork, their over-hyped, ineffective and hugely disappointing neighbours, because of craft and an inherent familiarity with winning big games.

“The reason why most of the top 10 county teams can engage in a more realistic belief this year is that there is simply no dominant force or outstanding county team out there.”

The team to look out for in Ulster could well be Down, according to Tierney, with the appointment of James McCartan and return of the prodigiously talented Martin Clarke from his AFL stint, the key factors.

“My team to watch from an Ulster perspective in the coming season are the men from the Mournes. I base this opinion on the premise that their prodigal son has returned from Australia and is sure to make a significant impact.

“Also, the appointment of ‘Wee James’, who in his playing career was an out-and-out winner, should motivate and inspire them.”

Tierney doesn’t think too many teams will be rusty in the pre-season competitions because he doesn’t believe that the two-month ban on collective training has been adhered to.

“The ban on pre-Christmas county training has now ended and county teams are free to begin their year in earnest. But if you believe that county teams have not met and started training months ago, well then the tooth fairy still leaves money under your pillow.”