Cuthbert remains wary of Kerry threat

Cork football boss Brian Cuthbert elected to hold counsel on whether or not Colm Cooper’s season-ending injury has bolstered the county’s Munster title aspirations.

Kerry pipped Cork for provincial honours last summer and the two counties are expected to again collide in the decider following the Munster Council’s decision to introduce a seeded draw.

Cuthbert said Cooper is a player who would walk onto any inter-county team, but stopped short of suggesting Kerry’s hand had been weakened for 2014.

“We are only focusing on the Munster semi-final, if we meet Kerry we will take them on their merits,” he asserted.

“Somebody else will play at centre-forward for Kerry and they will pose their own problems. The championship is a long way away and who knows who we will have or won’t have by that stage. I don’t know does it weaken their hand. Obviously he is one of the best players in the country. Everybody wants the Gooch on their team. At the same time we are only in February and they were without him up to this point.

“Someone else now gets a chance. That is the nature of the game, year-on-year somebody comes from nowhere, unheard of before. Take Shane O’Donnell scoring three goals in the All-Ireland hurling final. Somebody could do the same in football this year. Kerry would obviously love to have him, but he is not there so they are just going to have to plan without him.

“The thing we have learned in Cork is that it is the nature of the game. Over the last number of years we have had Colm O’Neill with three ACL injuries, Graham Canty and Ciarán Sheehan. Certainly we are aware of the trauma it directly causes to players, the trauma it causes to a camp and the trauma it causes to a county team to plan without your best player.

“My heart goes out to him and I wish him a speedy recovery. I know Kerry will do everything in their power to make this a year where the Gooch is not forgotten and that when he comes back the following year Kerry will be in a good place.”