Dublin sweeper Cian O'Sullivan says the all-conquering Metropolitans must block out the hype if they're to retain Sam Maguire.

The Dubs have been installed as 5/4 shots for a fourth senior All-Ireland in six seasons but O'Sullivan points out that they can't afford to dwell on what the bookmakers and general public think:

"Everyone has their own little way of ignoring it," he comments in The Irish Daily Mirror. "The first thing is to be conscious of the fact that it's a distraction and it can very easily breed complacency, and that's a dangerous thing.

"Once you're conscious of that and you don't pay heed to it, that's the biggest lesson. It's up to yourself then what you do with it.

"Whether it's your family or friends who give you those little sound bites or are just making conversation, they're coming from a good place, but once you know not to pay attention to it and give your one-line answer and move on and change the topic or whatever, that's all it takes really.

"If you see a news headline that suggests something like that, you mightn't read it. It's just staying grounded and staying in the present with what the team is tryng to do. That's the main thing."

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