‘Maybe it’s the media who want a longer lead-in to Championship but as players we just want to play’
CLARE veteran David Reidy believes ‘outside forces’ are re-enforcing a perception that the intercounty season has become too condensed. Clare face Kilkenny in tomorrow evening’s Allianz League final in Thurles, the first of three games inside four weeks that could define their season as they face Limerick and Cork in the Munster SHC in successive weekends. But Reidy was bullish when asked if the League finale was too close to the start of the Championship, saying that players had no issues with the scheduling of the season. ‘We had a two-week break between the semifinal. I’m not sure if it might be media or outside forces who want a longer lead-in to the Championship,’ Reidy remarked. ‘But as players we just want to play games week in, week out. If you’re not playing games you’re not going to be training. ‘And you’ll be training as hard, if not harder, to try and replicate a game situation. ‘As players, we’re definitely happy to be playing in what is as good as a Championship game and then to have a twoweek lead-in to the next game. ‘We’re prioritising Saturday evening at the moment and that’s the way we’re going about it. ‘As a player, you definitely prefer it this way as a split-season. You hear a lot of talk and it’s probably mainly from the media. I don’t know if the media is not getting enough work but as players, having games week after week is the way we want it. A small break and then straight into Championship with the club. ‘And if you’re successful there, you’ll play a provincial series which could go on until October, November or December. ‘If you get knocked out early, you kind of get a window of six-to-eight weeks of doing nothing as an off-season whereas previously there wouldn’t have been any off-season,’ he added. One of Clare’s longest serving players, Reidy came into the squad when the Banner County were the defending All-Ireland champions in 2014, but over the past 10 seasons has just a 2016 National League medal to show for his efforts. ‘You play the game, you play at the highest level you can to try to win. And if you don’t win you kind of have to look back and ask yourself did you do everything to get you to the pinnacle. In a team aspect, did you do everything to try to get us there? If we can answer yes then we can’t have any regrets really. ‘I bring it back to all players, no matter how many you’ve won you probably want more. That’s the reason I go year in, year out, it’s to try to be successful and to try to claim some medals. Any medal that we do have, we’ll cherish.’