Derek McGrath: There is no such thing as a soft inter-county player
Cork will be fuelled by often lazy commentary surrounding their perceived softness. 'In my opinion, there is no such thing as a soft inter-county player' the former Waterford manager writes
Like many on the learning journey, lockdown provided a welcome opportunity to indulge in sports documentaries. Netflix series âThe Playbookâ provided an intriguing synopsis of how top coaches create supportive yet challenging environments. It revealed how itâs possible to be ruthless yet loving, demanding yet supportive.
This balanced approach has become more evident in hurling in recent years. All this weekendâs coaches realise that well-made decisions depend on the input of the group. The knock-on effect is to strengthen trust.
They know too that the players who perform best are the ones that remove trepidation, fear, and worry from their minds.
As famed 49ers coach Bill Walsh put it: âoptimum creativity and high performance are most likely to succeed when the individual or group has an attitude that is seemingly a paradox; specifically both relaxed and intense. Thatâs when things really happen.âÂ
Waving the populist flag has never appealed to me. Ahead of last yearâs semi-finals, analysis of the educational paths taken by the 60 starters established that over 50 had gone to third level. I felt this reflected a seismic educational shift over 10 years, and was a parallel to societal changes.
Somewhere within my poor articulation, some interpreted my message as being there was no place for those outside third level on a hurling field.
Support for my actual message appeared from an unlikely source this summer. Paddy OâBrien, All-Ireland winner with Tipperary in 2001, now chartered physiotherapist to the Tipp seniors, articulated far more eloquently my point.
Paddy spoke of the modern player âhaving a different mentality, (being) way more informed, way more hungry for information, for stats analysis, for data.â Referring to it as a âdaily thingâ, he said the Tipperary lads âlove the feedback, they thrive on Itâ.
This thirst for information, direction, and clarity can be an enjoyable experience in an environment where the principles of team and management are aligned. Respect for difference lies at the heart of this.
Management teams and players that contain and implement diverse opinions often have a decisive advantage. They see the need for what Matthew Syed, in his book âRebel Ideasâ, calls cognitive diversity.
Players in pursuit of excellence can share differences in perspective, insights, experiences and thinking styles. Balance has been the key in the welcome journey towards a holistic approach to coaching.
As Syed puts it, itâs about seeing âhuman performance not from the standpoint of the individual but from the standpoint of the groupâ.
Forget the marquee players for now. Before last Sundayâs Munster first round, DĂłnal Ăg Cusack made reference to players who contribute to the process of winning.
Waterfordâs Jake Dillon is one such player. Jakeâs one-time Irish teacher Mrs Hanratty drilled it into the Leaving Cert class to âstay right till the end of the examâ.
Noreen did her due diligence by checking on the day and Jakeâs perseverance, his commitment to âdoing what he is toldâ, meant he was the last candidate along with the invigilator in the hall. Right till the end no matter how itâs going.
To bracket Jake and others in the category of selfless is true, but that often overlooks their skill and quality. Jakeâs goal against Cork in the 2015 Munster semi-final was bettered only by his brilliant green flag against Kilkenny in 2016.
But it wonât be lost either on their inner circles the sacrifice of players such as Jake, Niall OâMeara, Dan McCormack, Bonner Maher, Bill Cooper, Damien Cahalane, Conor Fogarty, Gearoid McInerney, Matthew OâHanlon. They bring the on-field diversity.
Limerickâs video analyst Sean OâDonnell will have been showing the players the importance of one extra pass in creating goal chances. A quick look inside on 6 mins 53 secs and Aaron Gillaneâs point becomes a goal if he arrows a delivery to Peter Casey.
If Kyle Hayes, on 54 mins 26 secs, plays a one-two with Gearoid Hegarty en route to goal, a wide becomes a green flag.
David Reidyâs decision to opt for a shot on goal on 67 mins 50 secs and not angle a delivery to Gillane would not happen if Bubbles or Callanan were in possession.
Dublin wonât spend long looking in the rearview mirror at the Laois game, but their dilemma will be how to free up Conor Burke again.
They may consider an out-and-out seventh defender in Burke, with Daire Gray man-marking TJ and Eoghan OâDonnell picking up Colin Fennelly.
Andy Dufresne found it easier to get out of Shawshank then we did finding out how Kilkenny had approached training during lockdown.
Nevertheless, snippets emerged of invited guests dispatched from Nowlan Park with relative ease by a potent forward sextet of Walter, TJ, Fennelly, John Donnelly, an emerging Eoin Cody, and one of Ger Aylward and Billy Ryan.
I am looking forward to seeing the continued development of Donnelly. Brilliant timing in the air, lovely soft hands, an eye for both a score and a pass, combined with a high work ethic, make him a real class act.
Outside of the obvious influence of Teneo, the subtle addition of Eoin Kelly as selector and the retitling of Eamon OâShea as performance director indicates the strategic planning of the Premier County under Liam Sheedy.
I look forward always to watching the boundless enthusiasm of Sheedy pre-match with that definitive âcan't wait for this challengeâ approach.
The fact that Tipperary's forwards could include any six of John McGrath, Bonner Maher, Bubbles, Seamie Callanan, Jason Forde, Jake Morris, Niall OâMeara and Dan McCormack probably contributes to that zest.
Total hurling, Davy will hope, will present itself in Croke Park â a perfect concoction of structure, madness, expression and, crucially, execution.
Galway have had ample time to know that Joe Canning will be man-marked, probably by Matthew OâHanlon or Paudie Foley; that Shaun Murphy, Jack OâConnor, Simon Donohue, Liam Ăg McGovern and Diarmuid OâKeeffe will bomb on at every opportunity; and that Davy will afford Rory OâConnor the freedom of the pitch.
Galwayâs template may see their six backs refuse to follow their men, allowing the Wexford forwards to be engaged by Galwayâs half-forward line and midfield. Tape of the 2017 Leinster final, I would imagine, has been well worn by Shane OâNeill and his players.
Both Cork and Waterford are playing for a much deeper purpose. A brewing cocktail of hurt, disappointment, anger, and hunger should fuel intensity levels.
Liam Cahill and Michael Bevans have handled the build-up brilliantly and Cork will meet a DĂ©ise team ready to fight on their backs for what they believe in.
Fagan, Lyons and Hutchinson will provide freshness to complement the experience of Kevin, Jamie, Shane Fives, Tadgh and Stephen Bennett.
Make no mistake, these players will always love playing for their county.
Paraic Mahonyâs loss is significant, not alone for his free-taking but for his creative play, his link with Dessie, and his on-field direction.
It is balanced by the loss to Cork of the hybrid of Jerry OâConnor and Tom Kenny that is Darragh Fitzgibbon.
Cork have a serious forward line but they must double-job to ensure any perceived weakness in their defence is not exposed. Theyâll be fuelled by often lazy commentary surrounding their perceived softness.
Cork players have never been soft. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a soft inter-county player.
Putting it all on the line for themselves, their families, friends, and county can result in inconsistent performances. Cork and Waterford have met better teams, lost key players, been outfoxed at times, but it often became easier to say they donât care or they are soft.
Neither are true.
The first water break was captivating for this anorak last Sunday. Paul Kinnerk held centre stage, shifting the magnets on the tactic board to change Limerickâs formation.
Water breaks may well be the opportunity for a ruse that could pay off. What team will line out with seven forwards after the water break. Or will we see a player return late, arriving in a scoring position?
Watch for Mark Fanningâs continued guidance from behind the goal and the changing patterns of his puckouts based on the flow of the game.
Observe the returning honesty, strength, and overlooked pace of Bonner Maher and be thankful for the return of Tadgh to the heart of the Waterford defence where he will combine quick decision-making with a steely commitment to stopping and starting attacks.
Expect the environment and the systems that have been created to still allow for the input of genius from Messrs Horgan, Reid, Canning, McGrath and Gleeson.
I expect Limerick to find another route to a sequel with Tipperary before the end of the year but for now Waterfordâs fight, Wexfordâs flexibility and Kilkenny and Tipperaryâs guile to be enough.
