FOLLOWING the withdrawal of Kerry Under-21 boss Seán Geaney from the race to fill the vacancy created by Pat O'Shea's departure, it appears as if Jack O'Connor is now the leading contender to return to one of the hottest seats in Gaelic football.
O'Connor, who stepped down in 2006 after guiding Kerry to their second All-Ireland win in three years, looks to be the leading choice of the three-man committee of Jerome Conway, Eamon O'Sullivan and Patrick O'Sullivan.
Respected sources within the county indicated over the weekend O'Connor was the man they wanted but his continued involvement in the Kerry SFC with Kerins O'Rahillys has delayed the process.
O'Rahillys and South Kerry drew their semi-final on Sunday and face a replay next Saturday.
It is understood Kerins O'Rahillys, with whom O'Connor has just a one-year commitment, will not stand in the way of the former Kerry boss returning to manage the Kingdom.
The other imponderable was whether there was residual hard feeling as a result of O'Connor's autobiography, The Keys Of The Kingdom, which pulled no punches. But by all accounts that is now considered history among the players and will not prove a barrier to his return.
However, while O'Connor is the leading candidate for the job, it is believed there are others on the shortlist, including Mick O'Dwyer and Liam Kerins should the Dromid Pearses native decide to remain in club management.
O'Connor would not comment on the matter in the aftermath of his side's thrilling draw on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Tyrone County Board is to investigate the scuffles that marred the county SFC final on Sunday.
The county board may request a copy of TG4's television coverage of the incidents.
A statement issued by the board said: "The Tyrone CCC will be conducting a full investigation into the incident which occurred at full-time in the Tyrone senior football championship final between Dromore and Clonoe."
Cork GAA officials are prepared to stand firm despite reports a number of the county's senior hurlers are set to quit in protest at Gerald McCarthy's reappointment as team manager.
It is rumoured a number of the players are prepared to end their intercounty careers after county board delegates installed McCarthy for another two-year term.
McCarthy is to reveal his backroom team of four fellow selectors at a county board meeting on Tuesday, November 11th.
PRO Bob Ryan said: "The county board picked the manager and he was voted in 88-6. The appointment was democratically endorsed and can we do any more? The whole thing was done by the book; it was a democratic process and that is fact. All the spin in the world won't change that."
Ryan added he had heard no further news from players after McCarthy refused to stand down despite being asked to do so by a players' delegation.
