Players just a sideshow in this wretched circus
IWAS walking up the street in Tullamore during the week and was stopped by a few people who wanted to talk hurling. But the conversation wasn’t centred on the matches. Not on Offaly versus Laois, which the locals had a stake in, or the big game in Munster, Waterford versus Clare.
The questions now are along the lines of, ‘What do you think of the sweeper system?’ Not about Tony Kelly or Austin Gleeson or any of the hugely talented players that will be lining out.
The whole build-up has become so one-dimensional. I’m close with Waterford’s John Mullane but he suggested that Waterford would have to match Clare on the sideline. Where are we going?
It all seems to be about the personalities on the sideline and in the backroom team and whether Dan Shanahan will front up to Dónal Óg Cusack and Davy Fitzgerald, when it should be more about what’s happening on the field.
Where are the players now in all of this? To me, they’re nearly a commodity in the whole circus.
You have Dublin football manager Jim Gavin saying he can’t stop the players doing the extra training but to me the whole balance is wrong.
Take the League final between Clare and Waterford when it was all about the referee and the big decision over a Waterford free that wasn’t awarded near the end. We’re losing it altogether.
Look at the quality of the players on show at Thurles this afternoon: Kelly, Conor McGrath, Podge Collins for Clare; Gleeson, Shane Bennett, Maurice Shanahan for Waterford. Instead of those lads, there has been plenty of talk about sideshows.
With the systems that both teams employ, the old style individual match-ups, the great one-on-one battles, just don’t happen anymore. It’s not just me who feels something is being lost.
I’m not old-fashioned. I love the game, coach it every day in the club. But I don’t like what we’re doing, the tipping and tapping with the ball in a confined area, rather than allowing the players the freedom to express themselves.
And yet I think the fine weather forecasted will help the entertainment level.
When it’s so hot, players get tired earlier and the spaces open up. It also makes scoring from distance easier.
Waterford crowd the half-back line, go short with the pass and then shoot from range, so expect more of the same.
People can say that winning is all that matters. But the question for Clare and Waterford is, can you win playing like this, with a sweeper at the back? To beat the likes of Kilkenny, you need to score goals. Looking at Cork versus Tipperary, there wasn’t a scent of a goal.
Both Waterford and Clare have the ability to move on with their game plan, push up in more orthodox fashion.
I can see why Fitzgerald isn’t fully confident though about leaving just six men at the back. Clare’s backline is a bit of a concern – they don’t have the same quality of defenders. Waterford are better equipped to push up and use the likes of Gleeson in a more advanced role.
To me, Clare’s Kelly is arguably one of the great players. So young still, there are very few players who can do what he can do – come deep, score off either left or right with no space required. He’s an athlete as well as an exceptional talent. I couldn’t countenance Waterford leaving him loose.
Tadhg de Burca has excelled sitting deep but he is such a free-spirited hurler he could do damage in a role that brings him out the field, given his capacity to shoot from distance.
I like what Clare are doing with McGrath, getting him to drift out the field and take the ball off the shoulder. We’ve seen him pick a ball 40 metres out and race through for goal. Another remarkable talent.
We saw the dedication of Podge Collins in the documentary about his comeback from cruciate injury. He was a missing link last year with his energy and hugely infectious personality.
Collins is very popular lad, he has that magnetic sort of personality that lifts a dressing room. All three will be key for Clare.
John Conlon’s aggression and strength, however, will be badly missed.
REMEMBER then for Waterford that the likes of Bennett is still so young. Last year, he was coming from sitting his Leaving Certificate to play a match. Gleeson is another who looks mature beyond his age. Imagine what these lads will be like when they are in their prime.
I’d love to see the managers release the shackles on all these players.
Cork-Tipp was terribly poor with the way the Rebels set up and I said people would stop going if it continues. To me, 30,000 in Thurles for that wasn’t a big crowd. They should be filling Thurles if you’re doing things right.
Hurling is such an attractive brand but it will impact if the games keep going in a similar vein. Clare are missing Conor Ryan and David McInerney – that’s two hardened leaders. Not only are they missing them on the field but also off the bench.
Waterford’s strength in depth can be a factor then with Pauric Mahony very impressive in a club match recently. Derek McGrath is shuffling a full deck. In a match of tight margins, that might be the difference.
It’s remarkable that Cork are the last team in 2005 to win a Munster championship and go on and win the All-Ireland. Clare won the All-Ireland in 2013 via the back door but have made no bones about chasing a Munster medal so there will be no chance of shadow-boxing.
I fancy Waterford. There’s bound to be a little bit of hurt after the way the League ended.
‘TONY KELLY IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE GAME’S GREAT PLAYERS’