JBM lauds player dedication

The host of retirements from inter-county fare has taken the hurling community by surprise.

Former hurlers of the year, Cork’s Jerry O’Connor and Tipp’s Lar Corbett, joined the 2007 winner Dan Shanahan in a premature departure and two eight-time All-Ireland winners, Eddie Brennan and Michael Kavanagh, and several other top players also joined the exodus.

But one man not surprised is Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy.

An iconic name in the GAA, All-Ireland and All Star winner in both codes, he managed Cork to Liam MacCarthy success in 1999. He returned to inter-county management after an absence of 11 years for this season and has been impressed by the changes.

“It’s extraordinary what these lads are doing nowadays, unbelievable,” he said.

“I knew they were doing it but it’s only when you’re back involved yourself you see the intensity that’s been brought to preparation. And they’re all at it — we’re just trying to do the same. The time-span of a playing career is not as long as it was in my time.

“It’s a totally different era. There’s an extraordinary difference and I presume that can only be the reason for a lot of players opting out. In Kilkenny they’ve put in a good few years on the road and I’d say that some of their fringe players didn’t feel like they could still keep making that sacrifice, because it is massive.

“These fellas are training five, six, seven nights a week. In fairness they want to do it, there’s no-one putting a gun to their heads, but the preparation nowadays is extraordinary, that’s the way it’s gone.”

His own playing days, the mid-’70s and ’80s, saw the rise of the flying Kerry and Dublin teams in football, while in hurling Cork and Kilkenny were raising the bar for Galway and Offaly to follow.

As hard as Mick O’Dwyer and Kevin Heffernan drove Kerry and Dublin, it bears no resemblance to today.

“The level of preparation as regards physical training, gym-work, that’s a huge part of it today. I was never inside a gym until I finished playing, and that’s the truth!”

As for diet and hydration – that draws a laugh.

“We’ve got David Matthews [double Olympian] training us, Declan O’Sullivan’s a fabulous physio, Dr Con Murphy is still there — the lads have the best and they demand it.

“They’re entitled to it but the level of preparation is gone through the roof. And when we won the All-Ireland in 1999 none of them were married — there’s a moral in there somewhere too probably!”

With so much sacrifice involved, it’s important the players and management relax a little. With outstanding characters like John Crowley and Seanie McGrath among his selectors, that will happen.

“Yeah, we’ve good characters around. Life is tough enough and with the intensity in training and playing matches it’s very important that there’s a bit of fun in the set-up.

“You’re flogging them fairly hard and there must be a bit of levity in the backroom team as well.”

No alcohol ban either, says Jimmy.

“We trust them. It’s the same in most places and you look at successful counties. We’ve no bans of any kind, we trust the players. You can see the way they’re training, you’d find out fairly fast if a fella wasn’t doing it!”

He’s enjoying it himself, his second coming, and that too has to transfer to the players: “I’m thrilled I got back involved. I didn’t think I’d ever come back but when I was asked out of the blue I said I’d do it and I’m enjoying it immensely and I’ve a great team around me. Donal Óg, as captain, has been a huge boost, the players respect him hugely.

“The league isn’t too far off, we’ve Waterford at home and then a break before Dublin in Croke Park. I’m really looking forward to the league, and having Dublin in Croke Park is a major bonus for our fellas to get to play there. But you have to hit the ground running the way the schedule is.

“It fell our way this year as we’ve three home games, Kilkenny, Galway and Waterford. They’re fantastic games to look forward to but it’s a very high-class league, not much room for error or experimentation, which worries me slightly.

“You probably wouldn’t want to be trying a few of the younger lads if you weren’t completely sure of them. Everyone wants to be competitive because no one wants to be relegated. So far so good but we’ve a lot work to do.”

Meanwhile Tipperary are hoping that Patrick ‘Bonnar’ Maher did not sustain serious knee damage against Cork in Sunday’s Waterford Crystal Cup semi-final. Maher was carried off in the 69th minute of the Templemore clash after falling awkwardly in heavy sod.

Reports from the Tipperary camp on Sunday night suggested the injury was not as serious as first feared but Maher will still undergo a scan later this week when the swelling on his knee subsides. The worst-case scenario is that Maher has sustained ligament damage but Tipperary medics are hopeful that there is no long-term damage.