Referees judging Galvin on reputation, claims O Sé

REFEREES are judging Paul Galvin on his reputation rather than his actions, according to his Kerry team-mate Tomas O Sé.

Galvin and Cork’s Eoin Cadogan were sent off after an off-the-ball incident during the recent National League game at Pairc Ui Rinn and both players had eight-week bans confirmed by the Central Hearings Committee this week.

“Fellas are saying he is getting a bit of a rough deal and I think there is a bit of that,” said O Sé in Dublin yesterday.

“It is easier to send him off because it is Paul, or whatever. If it was two other players in the same situation I don't know would they have been shown red.

The game itself was at boiling point at the time and I think the referee was under a fair bit of pressure.

“The break might do him good. Fellas would say that he has had too many breaks the last couple of years but he has played a lot of football and he will hopefully come back in better shape.”

As O Sé pointed out, Galvin also saw red against Cork in last year's championship and returned to play a crucial role in Kerry's capture of Sam Maguire, but one man who won't be re-appearing this season is Darragh O Se.

The four-time All Star brought the curtain down on his inter-county career last month and, though his younger brother respects that decision, he believes the midfielder would have been able for one last campaign.

“I feel he would have been well able to keep going if he had wanted to. It's very hard though with age and the amount of years that he has given. It would have been hard for him to come back. Himself and (Seamus) Moynihan have been the two best players I have played with,” he added. “I'm not saying it because he is my brother but he is the best midfielder I have seen playing football.

“I haven't seen Jacko or the older fellas play but he has had a huge impact on Kerry with his play, his style of play and his ability to make fellas play better. He is a leader and we don't have too many of those at the moment.”

At 32, Tomás has yet to harbour any similar thoughts and he will be one of the remaining leaders Jack O'Connor and the rest of the panel will look to when he returns to training some time in the next month or so.

Diarmuid Murphy has joined Darragh in retirement while Tadhg Kennelly and Tommy Walsh have opted for life Down Under – all in all then, this has the makings of a daunting season for the All-Ireland champions.

“It does, I suppose, between retirement and suspensions as well. We will have to make do. Tommy Walsh is a severe loss. A lot of fellas were expecting too much of Tommy but, for a young fella, he was doing very well.

“Last year in the All-Ireland final people got sight of him in a good flow. We were hoping that we would be working with him for the next few years and was going to be one of the main men for us.”

It remains to be seen if Mike McCarthy follows that quarter out the exit door. The Kilcummin defender returned to inter-county football from retirement last summer but his intentions this year remain unclear.

“He had a baby there but if I can do it with two children he can do it with one,” O Sé joked. “It's up to Mike. He definitely has the fitness. That's not an issue for him. He will have to make up his own mind. We definitely can't afford to be losing more players than we have already so I hope he does come back.”

The absence of so many key players has seen Kerry lose their opening two league games against Dublin and Cork. This week Kerry entertain Derry.

“It is of great importance that we stay up in Division One because you get top matches and teams are taking the league a lot more seriously now. It's way more beneficial.”