Limerick's James Ryan: Defeat to Cork was a real 'eye-opener'

Limerick's returning star James Ryan has backed manager John Kiely’s scathing assessment of Sunday’s 21-point hammering at the hands of Cork in the Munster senior hurling League, writes Jackie Cahill.

Ryan, who made his seasonal bow as a half-time substitute, admitted that a big defeat, in which Cork scored seven goals, should serve as a real “eye-opener” for the Shannonsiders.

Cork had no problem beating Limerick in the Munster senior hurling league https://t.co/drjebrB14S pic.twitter.com/UTWpMB3lmF

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) January 15, 2017

And Ryan, who will be 30 in April, says that Limerick players need to have a hard look at themselves as individuals before the loss is examined collectively as a team.

But Ryan is pleased that the Treaty men do have a chance to put things right quickly when they face neighbours Clare in Sixmilebridge tomorrow evening (WEDS).

Ryan, man-of-the-match in the 2013 Munster final victory over Cork, said: “I can speak for the whole panel here – we weren’t happy with the result, we weren’t happy with our performance.

“But look, it is January, fellas are getting chances and the week before, Waterford had a trial team out and the Limerick team we had out beat them.

“We had a team (on Sunday) that didn’t know each other very well, a new, young team. Take Tom Condon and Barry Hennessy out of it and it was a very young team, an U23 team at a guess.

“There’s a lack of fellas knowing lads around them and there’s a lot to learn. “They say that you can learn more from losing than winning but it’s a serious eye-opener for every player. We’re all now where we need to be."

Ryan is demanding a much-improved performance from Limerick against Clare, to gain confidence ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Kerry.

He added: “Hopefully we’re going to be in a different mindset on Wednesday night and get a result, even a performance.

“Results can go up and down – teams are trying out different panels and players.

“But get a result on Wednesday night and the whole thing might turn. We have Kerry at the weekend and we can forget about Cork as quickly as we can, learn from it and leave it behind us.

“Cork had a good few experienced players out there, with the class of Patrick Horgan and Alan Cadogan working well off each other.

“I can only speak for myself personally, I played the second half, and we’re all pondering and having a good look at ourselves individually before we look at it as a team.”

Garryspillane clubman Ryan, a former dual player who made his senior inter-county hurling debut in 2008, took time out over the winter months to consider his future before committing to another season.

And after deciding to go again, he’s looking for more consistency from Limerick in the coming months.

He explained: “The big word I have, and I thought about it over the Christmas period, is consistency in Limerick hurling for the last two or three years.

“We have tradition but it’s the lack of consistency that frustrates us as players, supporters and managers. We won last week and this week then was a big flop.

“Whatever team that’s put out, it’s the lack of consistency that’s the issue.

“Everyone knows you could play a Limerick team that could be in your face fighting hard and the following week lose that level of performance. Before we look at results and winning things, we have to get performance and consistency right.”

Ryan, however, feels refreshed and raring to go as Limerick gear up for the start of the Allianz League Division 1B campaign next month.

He said: “The more of a break I got, the more of an appetite I was getting.

“After the first week back, physically I was in a bad way with the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), feeling sore but mentally I’m in a great spot.

“I’d rather be like that than being in great shape and not looking forward to training.”