Two-pointers and Louth 'composure' key in Leinster final
The Leinster SFC final on Sunday might be the only provincial decider without a Division 1 team, but it is arguably the fixture with the most hype, in part due to the air of hope for the underdog given the dominant Dubs won't feature.
Every other county in Leinster will look at this final between Louth and Meath and think 'it could be us'.
Previously the Dubs' dominance of Leinster dampened hope for the rest, but their shock loss to Meath means someone else will come to the fore this year.
Recently retired Offaly footballer Nigel Dunne had one question speaking on Thursday's RTÉ GAA podcast: "Is there a player in Leinster outside of Dublin with a Leinster medal still playing?"
The last active Leinster player to hold the county medal, Ross Munnelly from Laois, retired three years ago. Sunday's showdown is a welcome change, according to Dunne..
"It (Leinster football) was something that people poked fun at over the last 15 years, but to be honest, rightfully so," he said.
"There was no competition. It was bereft of any sort of spectator imagination. People couldn't get invested.
"It was boring. So this year and the new rules has added to it."
Louth boss Ger Brennan expects Sunday's final to be a 'nervy' one. With so much on the line and history to be made for both teams, there is a chance the first 15 minutes could be cautious.
Dunne predicts the contest will be tight, comparing the match-up to the Munster semi-final in 2020 and Rory McIlroy's winning Sunday at the Masters.
"I don't like to bring this up, but when Cork beat Kerry in the 2020 and Tipperary went on and won the Munster, there is history," he added.
"I think this is slightly different... this is as 50-50 a contest as you can get.
"I don't think there's a clear favourite and there's a brilliant narrative going into it... I'm probably hyping it up too much... I think it's going to match the Masters Sunday in terms of drama."
Dunne does remove himself off the fence, and says that Louth's three-point victory over Kildare in the semi-final showed they are able to find ways to win in any scenarios, which may just give them the edge in Croke Park on Sunday.
"I thought Kildare were the better team for large portions of it, but Louth played with such composure and maturity at critical moments. They played like a team who had operated at a higher level for a few years and they didn't panic.
"They'd hold on to the ball when they had to hold on to it, the weather, the storm. But for large periods, Kildare were the better team, but Louth found a way to win."
Both teams' forward lines boast quality, with the likes of Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes, Ciaran Byrne and Sam Mulroy lining out for the Wee County, while the Meath full-forwards James Conlon, Keith Curtis and Eoghan Frayne managed 18 points between them to put Dublin out.
Two-point scores could be key.
"The standard of forward on show is brilliant. I still have to get my head around the new score. Like a lad can easily score 11 or 12 points now and it just sounds mad.
"The two-pointers could have a huge say in it. In Croke Park, it'll be interesting to see how that plays out in comparison to the smaller provincial grounds. It's adding to the whole drama."
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