Years before winter break reaps rewards
Pat Daly was a member of the Burnout Task Force which proposed that the months of November and December be closed for collective inter-county training but that recommendation’s imposition has not been unanimously welcomed.
Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney and Wexford counterpart Jason Ryan both spoke out against the rule after their O’Byrne Cup game in Newbridge on Sunday.
The latter was particularly concerned about the risks of injury for players playing their first game just days after their return to training.
“That is valid on the basis that guys are doing nothing but most guys are looking after themselves during the winter months,” said Daly. “It isn’t a case of doing nothing from the end of October until the start of January.
“Jason Ryan is obviously coming at this from the point of view that his players were going flat out until late August against Tyrone. Then they would have had heavy club schedules, some guys more than others, and some would have played third level as well.
“That’s what makes this whole issue so complicated. You can argue it whatever way you want.
“I believe that most players nowadays will keep themselves ticking over but it is important they get some rest also.”
Daly’s viewpoint is backed up by a man who had reservations about the two-month hiatus leading up to the opening round of fixtures but Louth manager Eamonn McEneaney was surprised by events during Sunday’s match against UCD.
“I have to say I had serious reservations about what the two-month break might mean for players returning to play with little or no training behind them,” said McEneaney.
“I was worried we would pick up a lot of injuries but that wasn’t the case.”
Other preconceptions were ended last weekend when some third-level institutions, despite being unaffected by the training ban, were clearly off the pace set by their inter-county counterparts, most obviously in Drogheda where UCD lost by 15 points.
The fact remains however that the winter hibernation period means different things to different people simply because some counties find their championship commitments wrapped up by mid-June while the lucky few enjoy campaigns that stretch on into August and September.
“It is impossible to square that circle,” said Daly. “Until a championship structure is agreed on that gives an equal number of games to every team, that will make the system equal for everyone, that will always be the case. You could argue that the system is militating against the weak.
“Some counties are out of the qualifiers in mid-June but how do you legislate for that? One of the main things to come out of the recent Strategic Review is that club players are not being adequately provided for so what is the priority? Is it about optimising the club/county balance or optimising the championships’ profile?”
As for the winter break, president Nickey Brennan is adamant that it is here to stay and it is hard to argue with its raison d’etre — to offer players the opportunity to manage injuries sustained during the season.
The hope is that players needing to embark on rehabilitation programmes or seek surgical interventions on injuries such as minor cartilage tears, ankle athroscopy, hernia repairs or Gilmore groins will now have the window to do so.
“It will be at least five or six years before any sort of stats emerge on the effects the break will have but it is going to be impossible to make a definitive comparison,” said Daly.
“Will we have the same championship format as we do now?
“Will we still have a situation where a team that loses its first championship match might have to wait nine weeks for its first qualifier?”
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