In reality Rock should be dropped. His free taking has been shite and he hasn’t contributed too much from play either. Looking at him on Saturday he seems to be carrying a injury or else he just cant run properly. The problem is that as Rocko says, you would loose the impact from the bench of Brogan and Macmanamon. I would hate to be down a couple of points in a game and have to depend on Dean Rock to come on and make an impact. 
Really feeling the loss of Paul Mannion now and god forbid O’Gara, I cant believe I said that. 
Whats the story with Costelloe? He would surely be a better option than Rock for starting and then leave Brogan to come on as sub for the strategic managing of possession and dictating play, and McMenamon to come on as the impact sub and burst of pace to exploit tiring defences. Flynn, as poor form as he is in at the moment, needs to be a starter or nothing, I dont htink he has an impact off the bench like the other 2 would.
Agreed. Could you see them starting all three of Fenton, Bastick and MacAuley with Rock losing out?
What about Tomas Brady? Bit of a gym monkey but can do a job in the half forward line.
Dean Rock’s confidence is shot. Very like Tomas Quinn in that regard except he provides less from play. Didn’t raise the first free he kicked off the ground in the replay and that was his race run.
Agreed that Alan Brogan and particularly McManamon provide more off the bench. This may now also be the case with McAuley. Rock himself has always provided more off the bench than starting.
However I think Dublin have to make a change because there’s a real risk and probably a likelihood Rock will be a passenger if started again, and I don’t think Dublin can get away with that against Kerry.
Costello would be my choice, regardless of being out of favour as he clearly is at the moment. McAuley is an option and I floated that possibility before the replay, but that’s square pegs and round holes stuff. I’d start Alan Brogan before McManamon if it had to be one of the two.
Diarmuid Connolly contributed nothing on Saturday but his very presence as a starter allowed Brogan and McManamon to come on as substitutes, where they are most effective.
Yeah I’d prefer the option of Brady over 3 of Fenton/MDMA/Bastick. Brady is a bit more of a ball player IMO than the other 3.
Connolly was definitely affected by what had happened in the lead up to the game and was probably trying to stay below the radar and avoid the referees attention and that affected is normal game. I would expect him to be back to his best come the final. Costello would be a better option than Rock but he is just not getting a look in at the moment for what ever reason. We cant carry Rock against Kerry.
I’d agree he was below par due to the events, but disagree he was trying to avoid the ref. He was in roaring and shouting at a free early on and the ball was brought forward. The easiest way to avoid the ref is to not shout and roar at him, avoiding tackles or game play is harder to stop.
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Hope to see many of you on Friday in Croke Park for the Chartered Accountants Leinster Society Gaelic Players’ Association Annual GAA Lunch (CALSGPAAGAAL). Caul Pollins will be MC and the panel to review the GAA year and preview the football final will include Dermot Earley, Sean Cavanagh and Paul Flynn (Dublin).
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What I meant by staying below the radar is trying not to make any tackles that would give the ref an excuse to issue a card and that hampered. Shouting at the ref would rarely warrant that unless he smacked him. 
Isn’t Mannion now back in contention, nominally at least? He was in China or somewhere, was he?
Was Mannion not playing football over in the US this summer?
Yeah he left to go to China, something to do with what he is studying. I doubt he would be in contention after missing all of the season.
No he’s not involved. Met him before the first Mayo game and he’s just not in the squad. No reason given. Costello could be back in the reckoning if he shines over next week or so. Wasn’t fully tuned in around Femanagh/Mayo gap but hopefully that’s sorted now.
Take it to the “People Spidey knows” thread, please.
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I had thought he was trying to get back into the squad around the time of the Leinster Final or maybe the Fermanagh game. Maybe he was told it was too late. Anyway I had heard he’d been at least training a few times, but it appears he’s left the panel by now anyway. Was just wondering if he was still training “in the long grass” and was secretly ready to be unleashed.
Maybe so, but I dont think of Connolly as a player who fouls much or who hits hard for frees or anything. Over the years my recollection of him would be most of his indiscretions have been for retaliation, or mouthing or getting involved off the ball. And also, abuse of the ref can be deemed a black card offence, so he runs the risk of that more than anything the way he carries on at times.
In any case, they need him at full tilt for the final. Kerry will obviously target him, and target him hard. No cuter bastard than a Kerry lad to give him a few pucs, and then for both to get carded and someone else takes up the marking job on him then.
As exclusively revealed here on the pages of TFK, David Coldrick has been confirmed as the referee for the All-Ireland final.