Eoin Murphy: ‘You want to win as much as you can’
But not everything is so seamless. He wouldn’t go as far as describing it as a nuisance, but like Limerick’s Nickie Quaid with Effin, he operates out the field for his club Glenmore. So well in fact, he as a midfielder has been the outfit’s top scorer with 6-28 in their capturing of the Kilkenny junior crown and run to a Leinster final.
Due to bad weather, the game against Lusmagh of Offaly is set to be rescheduled for January, days before Kilkenny return from their team vacation in Thailand. It means the break will be as much a busman’s holiday for Ger Aylward and himself as anything else.
“It’s probably not ideal, considering we had this trip [GAA-GPA Opel All Stars trip to Austin] and a trip with Kilkenny coming up around Christmas. Myself and Ger will have to be looking after each other in Thailand, trying to mind ourselves. It’s not ideal preparation as well because you will be tipping away at training over Christmas.”
As big a hotshot during his time in Waterford IT as Glenmore, Murphy’s exploits have undoubtedly provided Brian Cody with food for thought. The 25-year-old values having the opportunity to play both as a gatekeeper and hunter. “I was told when I first brought into the panel in Kilkenny that it was sort of open-minded as to where I was going to be playing. I did a bit of hurling out the field in 2011 and then there were a couple of injuries and things and PJ Ryan retired so I was back up there.
“Once I’m playing... it’s a team game. I can sort of get the best of both worlds. I get to play in the goal with Kilkenny and then when you have your couple of weeks off with the club it’s nice to get a runaround [out the field]. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to it, the transition period.”
The one-v-one penalty introduced for this year’s championship put more on Murphy’s plate. Facing Richie Hogan and TJ Reid’s pile-drivers in training was a daunting experience. “I genuinely think all the advantage is with the attacker. The goals are massive. It’s now gone a little bit like soccer where you have to read the body language for the free taker and try to guess where he will put it...
It did get to a stage where it was dangerous, something was going to happen. And thankfully it has changed before something serious did happen, because if someone got that sliotar… the way the balls were moving and how close they were striking them in, regardless of what sort of helmet you are wearing or any protective gear or anything, someone was going to get hurt.”
Whether his club commitments finish next month or February, Murphy will return to Kilkenny colours knowing expectation will be even greater to walk the Hogan Stand steps again. The motivation this past season was proving mass retirements wouldn’t affect them.
“When you come to a stage where you have a lifespan of only six, seven years, you really do want to win as much as you can, when you can,” he said.
“I’d never won anything like a county final with my club until we won the junior this year. I might have won a few small things with Kilkenny but nothing with the club. So you do want to win as much as you can every time you go out.
“I don’t think it makes a difference then what you’ve won before. Brian is a big factor in that. He does keep fellas level-headed. If anyone gets ahead of themselves, he’ll let them know about it.”
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