Cian O’Sullivan: Kerry the team to beat

The mind games are underway. Cian O’Sullivan believes Kerry are better than they were when they won last year’s All-Ireland title and have superceded Dublin as favourites to lift the Sam Maguire Cup next month.

The bookmakers say otherwise but the 27-year-old insists Kerry’s emphatic victory over Kildare last Sunday has shown just how much stronger they are this season.

“It was extremely impressive. I just saw the highlights. They completely annihilated Kildare. They look like a force to be reckoned with. Some of their goals were impressive. They showed why they have that favourites’ tag.

“It’s going to take a very, very strong performance to beat Kerry. You look at their team, their starting 15 and then who they have coming on off the bench, it’s a very impressive outfit.”

Speaking at a Lifestyle Sports/Skins meet-and-greet with fans in Grafton Street yesterday, O’Sullivan said he has noticed just how David Moran has gone from strength to strength after claiming his first All Star last year. It is one area where he regards Kerry as having improved from 2014.

“David Moran in midfield... not saying he didn’t have a good season last year, I think he won an All Star but he seems to have stepped it on even more this year. His partnership with Maher seems to be extremely strong, I don’t think there’s any better midfield partnership in the country at the moment.

“Offensively, they have the Gooch back and Darran O’Sullivan seems to be coming back into a bit of form. They have the option of (Kieran) Donaghy coming in or starting, so there’s frightening talent there.”

O’Sullivan said he treats everything that is written and said in the media lightly after he was asked about Jim Gavin’s comment that he takes anything that is said by Kerry about Dublin or other counties “with a large pinch of salt”.

His reference wasn’t to the Kerry set-up but Darragh Ó Sé.