Mary Immaculate coach Eamonn Cregan frustrated at timing of Fitzgibbon Cup
Cregan, a 1973 All-Ireland SHC medallist, is preparing a depleted Mary Immaculate College team for today’s (Thursday) Fitzgibbon Cup opener against NUIG – and the former Limerick and Offaly boss doesn’t agree with the timing of the competition.
Cregan said: “Madness. It has always been at this time of the year but we have poor weather at the moment, there’s the problem of getting pitches and fellas training in the mud. We don’t do any physical training with the players, you can’t, you’d kill them if you tried that.
“We have a number of county players so what we can do is just hurl and make the best of that. We’re going out against NUIG and the forecast is for heavy rain and very strong winds. You can imagine what the pitch will be like in Galway.
“Here you have the elite of the country playing in shite conditions.”
Cregan is planning without at least five top players for the opener – including current Tipp panellists Niall O’Meara, Sean Curran and Seamus Kennedy. O’Meara and Curran are both carrying hamstring injuries while Clonmel Commercials player Kennedy is not being considered due to his forthcoming AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final against Ballyboden St Enda’s.
Galway’s Sean Linnane is just back from a dislocated collarbone and Clare’s Liam Corry is also out as he recovers from a hand injury.
Cregan added: “We had Ronan Maher and Stephen Cahill playing in a (Tipp U21 county final last Sunday (with Thurles Sarsfields).
“I had a Freshers session last night and a number of lads couldn’t make it because they were training with their club. Training with their club, in January? I think we’re gone mad.
“Managers have now become an elite group in themselves. As I said, we don’t do any physical whatsoever. It’s all hurling and if we don’t, our fellas are going to be knocked up. Down the road, these fellas will walk away from the game and that’s not what you want.”
