KERRY LEGEND COLM Cooper would be “amazed” to see Bernard Brogan play any part for Dublin this summer.
Brogan had surgery on his cruciate in February and is thought to be targetting a return for Dublin in the latter stages of the championship.
Cooper, who missed the 2014 championship with a torn cruciate and broken kneecap, doesn’t forsee Brogan recovering from the injury in time to feature.
“I’d be amazed if Bernard Brogan saw any time this summer, even though there is still talk that later on he might get there,” he said at the launch of RTE’s 2018 GAA championship coverage yesterday.
“Having gone through it myself – mine was probably a little bit different because I fractured my knee as well.”
But Cooper believes injuries and Diarmuid Connolly’s departure from the squad have handed “a chink of light” to their fellow All-Ireland contenders.
Advertisement
“Vulnerable is a word I probably couldn’t throw at Dublin, to be fair. No, they are the standout team, they’re on their own, rightly favourites and I’d say very short favourites with the bookies.
Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
“But if you were to look at anything that might give a chink of light for everybody else, it might be injuries, there’s talk Jack McCaffrey will make it back.
“I would say the Connolly situation too, is he going to play during the summer or is he not? He’s a big player to lose.
“My only concern from a Dublin point of view, if you keep shipping these blows – I know they have strength and depth in every area – but there is no substitute for experience.
“You look to the experience of Brogan, Connolly, and Jack McCaffrey to a lesser degree, being without those before the championship even starts. If they were to pick up one or two little niggles it might test them in ways they haven’t been tested before.
“But still, they’re in pole position and looking at the league no team jumped off the page to say they can topple Dublin.”
Ciaran Whelan, Colm Cooper and Sean Cavanagh at the RTE Sport GAA Championship Launch 2018 Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
Cooper’s former team-mate Tomás Ó Sé was scathing of Dublin’s competition within Leinster, calling the challenge offered up in the province “ridiculous”.
Dublin have won 12 of the last 13 Leinster crowns and look set to continue that dominance well into the next decade.
“Leinster is a joke at the moment,” he said on RTÉ Radio 1. “Take Dublin out of it and you’ve a good Leinster championship.
“The rest are so far behind at the moment. Everyone talks about Dublin, whatever, how brilliant (they are). I think teams are beaten before they go out against Dublin.
“It’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t even watch a Leinster championship match now.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
25 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Colm Cooper would be 'amazed' if Brogan plays for Dublin this summer
Updated at 20:15
KERRY LEGEND COLM Cooper would be “amazed” to see Bernard Brogan play any part for Dublin this summer.
Brogan had surgery on his cruciate in February and is thought to be targetting a return for Dublin in the latter stages of the championship.
Cooper, who missed the 2014 championship with a torn cruciate and broken kneecap, doesn’t forsee Brogan recovering from the injury in time to feature.
“I’d be amazed if Bernard Brogan saw any time this summer, even though there is still talk that later on he might get there,” he said at the launch of RTE’s 2018 GAA championship coverage yesterday.
“Having gone through it myself – mine was probably a little bit different because I fractured my knee as well.”
But Cooper believes injuries and Diarmuid Connolly’s departure from the squad have handed “a chink of light” to their fellow All-Ireland contenders.
“Vulnerable is a word I probably couldn’t throw at Dublin, to be fair. No, they are the standout team, they’re on their own, rightly favourites and I’d say very short favourites with the bookies.
“But if you were to look at anything that might give a chink of light for everybody else, it might be injuries, there’s talk Jack McCaffrey will make it back.
“I would say the Connolly situation too, is he going to play during the summer or is he not? He’s a big player to lose.
“My only concern from a Dublin point of view, if you keep shipping these blows – I know they have strength and depth in every area – but there is no substitute for experience.
“You look to the experience of Brogan, Connolly, and Jack McCaffrey to a lesser degree, being without those before the championship even starts. If they were to pick up one or two little niggles it might test them in ways they haven’t been tested before.
“But still, they’re in pole position and looking at the league no team jumped off the page to say they can topple Dublin.”
Cooper’s former team-mate Tomás Ó Sé was scathing of Dublin’s competition within Leinster, calling the challenge offered up in the province “ridiculous”.
Dublin have won 12 of the last 13 Leinster crowns and look set to continue that dominance well into the next decade.
“Leinster is a joke at the moment,” he said on RTÉ Radio 1. “Take Dublin out of it and you’ve a good Leinster championship.
“The rest are so far behind at the moment. Everyone talks about Dublin, whatever, how brilliant (they are). I think teams are beaten before they go out against Dublin.
“It’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t even watch a Leinster championship match now.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Threat of relegation hangs over Dublin and Offaly ahead of Leinster hurling campaign
10 young footballers to watch out for in this summer’s senior championship
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
All-Ireland SFC cruciate victim GAA Sunday Game