Jack O’Connor stressed the need for Kerry to have a fully-fit squad if they’re to have a chance of completing another League and Championship double under his tenure.

The Kingdom’s four previous Allianz League wins under O’Connor in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2022 were followed by All-Ireland glory, but the Kerry manager admits it would be a big ask to maintain that winning sequence without injured stars such as Seanie O’Shea, Tom O’Sullivan, Dara Moynihan and Diarmuid O’Connor.

“I think we'll need to get our players back, you know what I mean? That performance was good enough for today, but I don't think it'll be good enough down the line,” he told the assembled media after his side became the inaugural winners of the Michéal Ó Mhuircheartaigh Cup.

“So great credit due to the lads that we've used all along and some of the new lads that came in, but no team can afford to lose big players like that.”

O’Connor identified the penultimate round victory over All-Ireland champions Armagh as the turning point in Kerry’s campaign.

“It's been a strange league,” he noted.

“I mean, all the years we got out of the traps early and were favourites to win the league from early on. I think this one has been a bit different, we've just eked it out by finishing strong. The Armagh game was a big game for us at home, because we'd lost our previous two home games.

“I think that probably turned our league. Kerry can be a tough place to play football at times for the players. There's a lot of pressure on them, so they came up with a big performance that night and that gave them the confidence to go to Salthill and get a result there as well.”

 

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