BUBBLES STILL HAWKING BACK TO 2014 FINALE
released to go back to your clubs. There are good points and bad points.”
Earlier this week Lee Chin dismissed the notion that a winter Championship would put his county at a disadvantage because Wexford are regarded as a team that thrives on the hard ground of summer.
O’gorman has mixed feelings over whether a truncated campaign may suit Davy Fitzgerald’s side.
He points to other teams being strong on the heavier ground, such as Galway, and more experienced outfits being more economical “in the muck”.
He added: “The hunger, the little bit of passion and drive that’s carried over from last year, is probably still in there.”
“Davy is trying to drill it into their heads that they’re not that far away from it. If we can get the intensity levels to where we left off, it would put us in a very good position.
“But because of the lockdown I’m not quite sure fitness levels will be as high as they have been the last number of years.
“So then you might see a team with good quality, stylish hurling like Tipperary or Cork could be the dark horses.
“We need the intensity, we need the passion that
Davy shows on the line and the players on the field of play.
“If we can get that going to the levels of last year we could go all the way. It’s up to individuals to train themselves and that’s what has been going on.
“It’s not until they go back to training properly when there are fitness tests that players will find out exactly where they are.
“There will be a lot of headscratching for the first week or two. After the cobwebs are blown off, you might think that your levels are up.
“But it’s only when it comes to Championship that you know where you stand.”
JOHN ‘BUBBLES’ O’DWYER believes his last gasp free in the 2014 All-ireland final would have been signalled a match-winning point if Hawk-eye was not in use.
O’dwyer was convinced his free from 97 metres had hit the target deep into injury-time to edge Tipperary in front of Kilkenny but the effort was ruled wide when reviewed by Hawk-eye.
And then to rub salt in the wound, Kilkenny pushed on in the replay to win by 2-17 to 2-14.
The Killenaule clubman, 28, said: “I was confident but obviously now it’s in the history books.
“At the time I thought it was over. What I didn’t realise was Paudie Maher was standing right behind me and Paudie knew straight away that it was after going wide.
“I thought it was over and if Hawk-eye wasn’t
CUL CAMPS
LEITRIM have pulled the plug on GAA Cúl Camps this summer over health and safety concerns around Covid-19.
Leitrim GAA have told their clubs that they are free to organise camps themselves if they wish, but the county board will not be involved.
Last year over 156,000 children aged between six and 13 participated in the there it probably would have been given.”
O’dwyer scored three points in the replay but had to wait two years for his first All-ireland senior medal as Kilkenny secured their 35th title.
“Maybe Kilkenny didn’t play as well in the drawn game and then the roles were reversed for the replay,” O’dwyer told the Sideline View podcast.
“We left it behind us in the first game but the minute that was over we were back training on the Monday and we felt it was still there for us but the team that Kilkenny were back around then, they were pretty unbeatable and knew how to close out games.”
O’dwyer, who made his debut the previous season in 2013, did end the year with an All-star award.
“It’s nice but obviously I would have changed that All-star for an All-ireland.” annual Kelloggs Cúl Camps and the GAA this week gave the green light for them to take place from July 20.
However, a Leitrim statement explained: “While this is disappointing news for the clubs and ultimately for those who would have wished to participate, the decision is made in greater health interests of all concerned.”