‘No guarantees in Munster’
your back. It’s going to give us massive motivation, you’re going out there as All-Ireland champions but to even get out of Munster this year is going to be a challenge. ‘I can’t wait. To have that extra weight on your shoulders, for us we’ve had that at 21s level, we’ve had that at minor level, what’s it at senior level? There’s a great team there and I’m just looking forward to it.’ For all his faith in the potential within the squad, he knows there are no guarantees that the All-Ireland champions will even get out of their own province. ‘It’s a fact, Limerick might not finish in the top three next year, they might not finish in the top four just the way that Munster is going. ‘Everyone knows that Munster is probably the top Championship there, so it’s going to be massive but we’re going to go all guns blazing.’
LIMERICK All-Ireland winner Séamus Flanagan believes defending champions Galway handed the challengers the initiative last August by refusing to come out onto the Croke Park pitch first. Galway were scheduled to run out first in the final but, in trying to get one up in the tactical battle, they refused to stick to the running order. Limerick attacker Flanagan insists the move backfired. ‘The thing that stuck with me most. When we ran out of the dressing room — Galway were supposed to come out before us. But they were held back. Their manager Micheál Donoghue wouldn’t let them out before us. We felt ourselves that was the first nail in their coffin because of mental warfare — they wouldn’t come out first and be on the pitch to hear our [supporters’] roar.’ He admitted that it will be a different psychological challenge in the coming year — being the hunted rather than hunter — after John Kiely’s men ended a 45-year wait to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup. ‘Yeah, I suppose last year we went under the radar. Not a lot of people knew where we were in the rankings or whatever. But I can’t wait, to be honest, going out there and every day you’re the team to beat, just having that target on