Kingdom believe in man on a mission

Some called it tapping up, others described it as a coup, but there was little equivocation about Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s motives when he approached Mayo trainer Cian O’Neill in August 2012: the man had a plan.

Coming prior to Mayo’s semi-final win over Dublin, it was a bold move. The nature of it matched the necessity of the cause: Kerry had fallen back in the strength and conditioning stakes, only the best would do. O’Neill’s services had to be procured.

Two years on, this group of players have caught up with the likes of Mayo and Donegal. Dublin, who have been benefiting from Bernard Dunne’s regimental boxing training, remain ahead in that department but Kerry are no longer simply coping. The likes of Jonathan Lyne, who was more pinball than a bumper in a league game against Mayo three years ago, is no longer easily pushed away so easily.