‘Super-coach’ idea would benefit GAA, says Micko
The Wicklow boss embarks on a remarkable 35th season as an inter-county manager when his team face his former charges Laois in the opening round of the O’Byrne Cup in Portlaoise this Sunday.
And although the 74-year-old has ruled himself out of ever becoming a “super-coach”, he advocates the idea that Tipperary attempted to follow up on when appointing their senior inter-county manager John Evans as director of football before Croke Park ruled it out of order.
“I think it would be a great idea,” said O’Dwyer. “Anything that promotes our games is welcome and we need men like John Evans who is doing a great job in Tipp.
“If we had more men like him in the other counties it would be good as well. I’m well passed becoming one myself (a director of football), I can assure you.
“But I would be totally supportive of it.”
As O’Dwyer and his selectors Jim Whittle and Martin Coleman attempt to formulate their NFL panel during Leinster’s pre-season competition, the Waterville native has criticised the new rule which forces inter-county managers to cut their squads from 30 to 26 for the National Leagues.
“That shouldn’t be the case at all,” remarked O’Dwyer. “If you want practice games you have to have 30 players.
“People with any bit of sense would realise that. You need 30 players available at all times for trial games.”
Dublin manager Pat Gilroy has also voiced his displeasure with the reduced size of his panel as he currently works with a provisional training panel of over 40 players.
After months of speculation last year which linked him with vacancies at Mayo and his old patch in Laois, O’Dwyer announced that he would take charge of Wicklow for a fifth season in 2011.
He does so without selectors Arthur French and Kevin O’Brien who both stepped down from their positions at the end of last season.
And while he is a staunch critic of the inter-county winter training ban which sees him lead out Wicklow in a competitive game just nine days after they were permitted to return to training, he is excited about the new season and going to Portlaoise where he was revered during his four-year spell with Laois in the mid-Noughties.
“I’m excited about this season as I have been about every other,” said O’Dwyer. “It’s not hard to be enthusiastic in January nor has it ever been for me.
“Of course, Laois brings back memories — there’s no doubt about that. We won the Leinster title in 2003, that was a wonderful season, and for the years that I was there we were in contention all the time so it was an enjoyable time for me.
“The O’Byrne Cup, though, is an opportunity to try out new players and that’s what we’ll be doing on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Roscommon GAA officials are demanding that proper medical facilities be available at all grounds after midfielder Mark O’Carroll suffered a broken kneecap playing against London in the Connacht championship last summer. Roscommon secretary Brian Stenson, in his report to the rescheduled county board convention next Saturday, is highly critical of the medical facilities which were on hand in London.
“This injury was unquestionably accidental but the lack of a stretcher and medical facilities in Ruislip left a sour taste. It was also disappointing that having stayed in a London hospital for three days it was then necessary for our own team doctor, Dr Martin Daly, to intervene and arrange for the transfer of Mark to a Dublin hospital for treatment.”
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