RTÉ hurling analyst Neil McManus believes that Clare boss Brian Lohan may need to find a starting spot for John Conlon if the Banner are to steady the defensive ship as the Munster championship progresses.
Clare opened their round-robin campaign with a thrilling 2-33 to 4-21 win over Waterford in Ennis on Sunday.
It was a result that mirrors their recent Division 1B final win over Dublin – high scoring at one end but leaks aplenty at the other end – their opponents grabbing three goals on that occasion – and for McManus, that can't continue if the 2024 All-Ireland champions are to have a significant say on the race for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Conlon made his return from a freak accident that saw him nearly lose a finger last year, after getting his wedding ring caught in a fence, with a start in the Round 3 league win over Down.
Now in his 18th season with the Munster side, Conlon also started the next day against Kildare as well as in the win over Wexford, but only came on for the last 16 minutes of the league final and was an unused substitute on Sunday against Waterford.
For McManus, the two-time All-Star has to come back into the reckoning for the visit of Limerick in two weeks’ time.
"It was the forwards who were on show yesterday down in Ennis, they really caught the eye," McManus told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland.
"Tony Kelly back, he’d four points from play. Shane O’Donnell beside him, Peter Duggan, Mark Rodgers and young Diarmuid Stritch who came in and grabbed three points – he looks like one for the future for Clare.
"While Clare are incredibly exciting up front and potentially have six of the best forwards in the game, they do concede an awful lot at the back.
"That won’t please Brian Lohan. We know the defensive animal that he was on his day and maybe there’s a man who wears a red helmet quite like the famous helmet that Brian Lohan used to wear in John Conlon who could come back and help steady things there.
"He’s on the road back and they could really do with that settling influence in the centre of the defence."
Watch Cork v Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
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