Possession statistics do not pull the wool over Joe Brolly's eyes.

Take the case of Ciaran Kilkenny for instance. The RTE pundit cast a critical eye over the Dublin player's form of late - and he delivered his verdict in his own unique way!

"Ciaran Kilkenny has lost course entirely, ever since his temporary spell at wing-back against Donegal," Brolly writes in his Sunday Independent column.

"He has become entirely risk-averse, soloing, handpassing laterally and generally going nowhere. The GAA journalists rave about how many touches he gets, but there is a huge difference between a touch and a score, as any young man in Coppers will tell you."

When referee Maurice Deegan sounds the final whistle next Saturday, the Derry All-Ireland winner hopes to be in a position to keep a promise he made...

"Before she died of CF, Laura Donnellan from Westport asked me to promise her that if Mayo won the All-Ireland I would wear the Mayo jersey in the studio after the game.

"The Mayo board made me a special number 13 and sent it to me. I would like to honour the dying girl's wish. I have come to realise that only Aidan O'Shea can break the curse. I have a vision of a goal in each half and Philly sprawled on the turf at his feet as the ball hits the rigging.

"And a beautiful girl from Westport beaming down on it all."

Tweet

Most Read Stories