‘We must match Mullinalaghta’s appetite and ferocity’

Jason O’Connor The Dr Crokes backroom team is giving the opposition due respect

ONE thing was evident from both Vince Casey and Niall O’Callaghan’s comments at the Dr Crokes media briefing last week prior to this Saturday’s All-Ireland Semi-Final in Thurles, the respect they have for the dedication and hunger of the players to want to come back for more.

“To bring the club to a fifth All-Ireland Club semi-final this decade typifies it,” Casey, an All-Ireland Club winner in 1992, says.

“They were very disappointed after losing the Munster Final to Nemo Rangers last year where not only did they not perform, they were also not allowed to perform with how well Nemo played on the day.

“There were questions asked after that and they were also asked as well after Kerins O’Rahillys beat us early in the County Championship, but the players keep coming back with the answers we want to see from them,” the Crokes selector said.

For O’Callaghan, the Killarney side are in the midst of an era they might not be fully appreciative of just yet.

“We always respect what those who were involved in 1992 did for the club and all those involved in the club before that. That’s something that’s not forgotten by the players, but I think the silverware that has been won by this group is quite remarkable,” he said.

Tony Brosnan requesting to start in the O’Donoghue Cup told O’Callaghan a lot about the hunger as well.

“For a management team going from the week before Christmas to the third weekend in February is pretty achievable when you only have to map out a schedule. The hard part is for the players to absorb that and stick to it and pick up all the information we are giving them along the way,” O’Callaghan said.

Casey was happy with performances in East Kerry given the tight schedule the club had to adhere to in playing four games in sixteen days.

“A lot of the subs we were only bringing on in the County and Munster got full games in the O’Donoghue Cup and we had a complete team rotation from the side that played O’Rahillys in the County League Final to the one that played against Fossa in Rathmore the following Thursday night,” he said.

The Killarney club are reporting no injuries prior to this Saturday’s trip to Thurles as Colm Cooper is back in consideration for selection again with O’Callaghan hopeful the range of experiences, they have had in recent years will stand to them for a somewhat different test in Mullinalaghta.

“We know losing is not a nice feeling, but we also know what it is like to win as well. That’s why I think we are so lucky to have Pat O’Shea as a manager, he is brilliant at keeping everyone on their toes and focussed on the task at hand,” he says of the Crokes manager.

Some would compare their Longford opponents on Saturday to other clubs Crokes might encounter in Kerry with the variety of opponents between Intermediate and Junior sides in different competitions, but Casey feels the Leinster Final defeat of Kilmacud Crokes will guard against any complacency.

“They might be a similar size parish to some of the other teams we play in Kerry, but as you saw from their performance in the Leinster Final, honest effort will achieve you a lot. They are exceptionally good and have seven or eight Longford seniors.

“We are under no illusions about how tough this will be regardless of what others might think,” he said of Mullinalaghta .

Casey also says that there is no personal motivation in trying to seek redemption for the 2013 defeat to Ballymun Kickhams at Saturday’s venue. “Our panel is changed since then and you don’t look backwards but forwards when you are in this situation.”

O’Callaghan also hopes that the Crokes setbacks since 2017, even though there have been relatively few, will be more motivating than their successes.

“Winning the competition in 2017 was definitely a monkey off the club’s back but it drove the players on as well to want to do more. The Nemo result was proof that success isn’t always guaranteed afterwards, and we still hope there is some hurt there from that on Saturday to drive the players forward.”

Casey meanwhile sees Saturday in Semple Stadium boiling down to the following.

“Can we win enough personal battles on the day? That’s a big thing for us as well as playing for each other. We must take our scores when the chances come as well as matching Mullinalaghta’s appetite and ferocity. If we don’t do that then we will be knocked out, simple as.” It’s hard to remember an All-Ireland semi-final they have been involved in where Crokes will be as heavily fancied to win in advance as this. They know the dangers of the ‘favourites’ tag though and should be well forewarned prior to throw-in.