The Indo has a short piece this morning about Conor Mortimer and his cruciate operation. Conor had the op last Friday and he confirms to the Indo that he’s looking to be back in action in time for the club championship later in the year. While he could, at least in theory, be ready for the fray at inter-county level before this, it appears all but certain that he won’t be lining out in the red and green at all this year.
With the emergence in the last few years of other forwards who are capable of getting their names on the scoresheet, we’ve become less reliant on Mort in that department. Indeed, over the past two years he has become a largely peripheral figure, in particular during the championship. But, then again, we’ve become fairly peripheral as a team in the championship over this period.
Mort is, however, still our second-highest scorer over the last fifty years (perhaps of all time) and it’d be great if this operation – which aims to sort out a problem that’s been bugging him since he was an U21 – were to extend an inter-county career that has in recent times looked to be fizzling out. Could he yet go on to knock Joe Corcoran off his perch? Time is still on his side in this respect but only just. Best of luck with the recovery, Conor.
In other news, what are we to make of the shenanigans in Galway? Colm Keys has a good piece in today’s Indo about it where he mentions the interview that Ray Silke did with SBB on TG4 yesterday, which lifted the lid on the significant problems within the Galway set-up. Their trouncing by a depleted Monaghan in the opening round of the league the weekend before last was the first public confirmation that all was not well with the Herrin Chokers and the departure of Kieran Fitzgerald and Niall Coleman from the panel will increase the pressure on an already under-fire Tomas Ó Flaharta.
Those of an unkind disposition might think that problems in Galway are good from our point of view, not least because it’ll make it more likely that we’ll skate by them when we (almost certainly) meet in June in the Connacht semi-final. As The Brother repeatedly points out, however, the stronger the competition is in Connacht, the better prepared counties from the province are when the time comes for jousting with the cream of the crop from the other three provinces. Seen in this light, a diminished Galway could prove to be every bit as bad for us as it is likely to be for them.
Sean Rice had a piece on Conor and Trevor in last weeks Mayo News. He certainly is a big fan of Conor and by the praise Sean heaped on him Conor has a strong backer to keep his foot in the door.
To me Conor Mortimor has/had the ability to get on any team in Ireland but paradoxly he is a perfect example of diminishing returns over the last five years for Mayo.
In two All Ireland finals, two semi finals, two league finals and any match in the championship outside of Connacht, Conor has failed to stamp his undoubted class.
If you look at the role of Dooher, Galvin, the O Sés , PJ, McMeanamin, Marty Clarke….guys who seek out leadership and give it, then Conor fails to inspire.
The fact that he is close to the legendary Joe Corcoran has as much to do with the extra games that now occurs in the championship plus Mayo lasting longer at that level than they did in jinking Joes day.
For all his scoring neither he nor Mayo can come close to the 1948-51 men. Peter Solon who was just a regular forward along with Langan, Gilvarrey, Mick Flanagan and Carney scored 19-16 in roughly 14 championship games that yielded 2 All Irelands, 4 Connacht titles plus a national league for Mayo.
Sadly and correctly that is how I measure Conor. He has a long way to go and the clock is against him. Solon was 22 when he achieved his dreams.
I agree with your comments, Conor failed to deliver when we needed him, as I have already said previously, he had his day in the sun, we have some great talent coming along, two footed players, an eye for a score, and big men, I feel we are moving in the right direction with the panel of forwards, and maybe just maybe centrefield, but without Parsons, but we need a centrehalf back, a full back, and one tight corner back.Kerry played very well against Cork, and were a trifle unlucky, we will be in a better position to judge after the weekend.
mort despite his eccentricities, attitude etc is still worth his place in any mayo squad. the ‘ we are better off without him brigade’ say this as a reflection of the lads character rather than his ability.
are there 12 better forwards than mort in the county if so we have improved a hell of alot since pearse park in june.
2006 croke park 19 points, 10 from play in 4 games
2004 croke park 13 points, 7 from play in 4 games
to criticise mort for the subsequent finals is unfair.
even if we had the gooch in the corner in the finals 04 and 06 same result would have happened
Conor Mort will never be a player that will make my personal lifetime Mayo 15. A handy enough corner forward is how i would describe him…no more than that. His Brother kenny would make it into my lifetime 15 just to show ive nothing against the morts. Kenny went downhill very quickly thoughd…i remember seeing him getting roasted in a league game V louth above in drogheda and never saw him play well since….that was either late 97, early 98.
If Conor makes good progress after his operation maybe James Horan might consider him for the position of “water-boy” like Brian O Driscoll did for the Leinster team when he was recovering from injury. That way he could display his Michael Jackson T-Shirt without pulling up his Mayo jersey! ! Like the previous contributor I would have been a bigger fan of Kenny Mortimer than of Conor. If Conor had the same amout of bottle, courage and hard-work as he has of arrogance then he would have made a great player. Unfortunately when the chips were down he failed to deliver – especially in Croke Park. Having said that – there is nothing I would like more than that he would eventually prove me wrong and that he will come back better than ever. The readers may have heard that joke doing the rounds: Paul Galvin’s new fashion programme on RTE called “Galvanised” – – – – Well apparently there is a sequel to it featuring Conor Mortimer —– it is going to be called “Mortified”
I tend to agree with glasshalfull. He is/was one of our few natural scorers. He had a great year in 2006 and was fantastic against the Dubs in the semi when he roasted griffin and scored some great points from frees and from play. I think he tends to get a lot of unfair comment. I would still rate him far better than the likes of Varley and Ronaldson. We’ve never had a top class full foward he could play off. If we had he would have scored a lot more. Give the guy a break.
the ‘special player’ has always been prone to
unfair criticism in our county. have been at games where ciarain mac was abused incessantly even though he was often our best player it was only by 04 we apprreciated him, mort always seems to be open to this. sadly today another promising footballer, aidan o shea seems destined for such a cross. other counties appreciate talent mayo people criticise and seem to prefer lads to ”keep it simple”. it takes all sorts you know
Well said glasshalfull/facetheball.
The criticism Mort gets is just getting boring now. No-one can tell me that it isn’t partly due to what people perceive his personality to be.
Some people need to stop listening to arseholes like Joe Brolly, when they go on about dyed hair/white boots etc etc.
I couldn’t give a shite so long as he plays well, and play well he has on many occasions.
He didn’t play well in either final, but who did?? Why single him out? If it wasn’t for him I doubt we would have been in either final anyway.
Maybe the year away from it all will do him good, and he’ll be back hungrier than ever.