Hands up as Star relishing return to the spotlight

AS Kieran Donaghy posed patiently for snap-happy juveniles after Kerry’s Championship opener on Sunday in Thurles, he can’t have imagined how quickly the defeat of Tipperary would be swallowed whole by the handpass debate.

But lost in the blame game about over and underhand fist passes is the re-emergence of the most potent attacking force in inter-county football following a year of injury interruptions. Lost to everyone, maybe, except watching Cork manager Conor Counihan.

Counihan has two choices when his Munster champions put their title on the line in Killarney on June 6 – double team Donaghy, or stop the supply to the Austin Stacks man by shutting off the source. Given Eoin Cadogan’s lack of match practice and Jamie O’Sullivan’s lack of experience at full back at senior level, Cork may try to close down Kerry further out the field, starving the Kingdom full-forward of possession.