Canty hoping for injury-free Rebels run
Injuries have taken their toll. His hamstring has been constantly complaining, then his achilles tendon gave him a spot of bother and finally, when he saw some action in last Sunday’s clash against Mayo in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, his involvement ground to a halt after 28 minutes when he smacked his shoulder against an opponent.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he admits. “You get a run of these injuries sometimes and it’s a concern my match fitness is way down on what it should be. I’ve only had a game and a half this year. I played against Waterford in a challenge game and I got 30 minutes against Mayo. I’ve nothing else, no club games played. Compared to this time last year, I’d seven intercounty league games under my belt and a couple with the club.
“This year I don’t have it and though my fitness isn’t too bad, I’m well behind football wise. But I can’t dwell on it because I can’t change it. It’s just a matter of going doing the rehab now and getting back onto the pitch.”
Canty’s plight is far from an isolated case in the Cork camp. He’s in good company with other established players of his ilk, Alan Quirke, John Miskella and Anthony Lynch, all having endured injury travails as well.
“Injuries have kept us all out. Alan’s back fit and is at least playing, but myself and Anthony are struggling though. John has been out the whole time and Pearse has missed a decent amount after breaking his thumb. But the other fellas have stepped up a lot. We’ve made a lot of changes this year for games, where the management have looked at younger and newer players.”
Canty reckons those players have thrived in the increase in standards.
Last year in Division 2, four of their five victories were by margins greater than seven points, whereas this year Division 1 has proved more testing with four of their five wins by a margin of three points or less.
“The standard is a lot higher and it’s more competitive,” says Canty. “Last year we had a couple of games we won handy and you don’t get a proper reflection in those games of how good a guy is and where he’s at.
“But this year games have been tough and tight. We’d three tough away games against Ulster teams which we weren’t used to playing, so that was a good experience for us.”
Away from Cork, Canty’s services are likely to enlisted later in the year when the International Rules Series resumes after a 12-months hiatus.
Anthony Tohill was recently appointed to that managerial post and Canty is pleased to see his former Irish teammate given the nod.
“Anthony’s a good head man and has good experience around him in the likes of the Bomber. Sometimes in recent years they’ve lost continuity with the change of management, but those guys have been involved before and it’s great to see them there again.
“They probably learnt a lot under Sean Boylan when they were involved and I think it’s a prudent move to put those lads in place.”
However, one competition where Canty will not be plying his wares in is in the interprovincial arena, after the death knell was sounded for that competition at last weekend’s GAA Congress with the decision to suspend it for 12 months.
“It’s been fizzling out the last few years and there’s no drive from anyone to push it forward,” said Canty. “The GAA in fairness have been trying to bring the final abroad but that hasn’t really worked. You nearly have to move the timing of the series to generate any interest. The current format isn’t working. You could stick with it and try to put it to a different time of the year. There’s a break in the league where you could try to play it, but the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson could cause problems then. You want to represent your province but after the county, the club takes priority.
“You’re not going to play a Railway Cup game before a club match. Fella’s have injuries as well that they could be carrying all year and they don’t want to damage them further by playing in the Railway Cup.”
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