Rossiter: There’s a lot more to Wexford than a sweeper
And to think Keith Rossiter initially said “no” to Davy Fitzgerald!
The former Wexford captain can laugh about it now but he’s thankful he eventually agreed to join the management team as his selector and defensive coach.
His first refusal was to return to the county colours. The Oulart-the-Ballagh defender had stepped away at the relatively young age of 31 in early 2015 but that number betrayed the amount of hurling he had done with county and club.
As flattered as he was by Fitzgerald’s approach to play once more, he had to decline. But the Clare man wasn’t giving up.
“Davy is very convincing but I originally said no to him. I planned on hurling myself with Oulart. At the end of 2016, we had just won the county final and a lot of things were happening for me in life. I got a phone-call from Paraic Fanning, who was a selector at the time and I trained under Paraic in Waterford IT. He just said he had been speaking to Davy and said: ‘We could work with you and we’d love to have you onboard’.
“I wouldn’t regret it now. It was a godsend to retire with Wexford in 2014 and finally win the Leinster club in 2015.
“I enjoyed my career. People will always have their opinions about the time I went. But I went out on my own terms, which a lot of players can’t say. If I hadn’t retired and Davy came in, I probably wouldn’t have ended up a selector now with him.”
Rossiter admits he was initially overwhelmed by the intricacies of Fitzgerald’s coaching.
Soon after taking up the position, he echoed the manager in saying it would take at least two years for the players to become comfortable enough with the new systems of play.
“To be straight about it, when I came in first, I was thrown back with what he had and the way he set out the team and in fairness the team took a while to get in on it as well.
“It’s taken two, two and a half years, to get it working properly and it’s probably working as best as it ever has because the players fully understand it. There’s a lot more to it than a sweeper.
“If you don’t buy into the gameplan, you’ve no right to be there. One loose cog and you’re going to be in trouble. When I say everyone, I mean the 32-man panel and the backroom team that supports it. One person pulling against us might drag another one and it just won’t work.”
From Rossiter to Seoirse Bulfin to JJ Doyle to PJ Ryan to Siggins to Mags D’Arcy, the wealth of Fitzgerald’s backroom team is considerable and he sure knows how to delegate, smiles Rossiter.
“If you came up an hour before training and saw all the cones on the field you’d ask: How is this all put together?”
“We all know our roles. We know what he’s looking in training and you have to know because he’ll tell you anyway. The more we work together, the easier it is. The one thing about the Wexford set-up is they are no egos on the sideline or on the field. There is respect from the people who put on the kit to those who collect it.”
Rossiter had no hang-ups about linking up with a group many of whom he would have played alongside.
“I’d have great respect for the players that are there. I think it was a two-way street with them. I would be friendly with a lot of the older guys and I broke it down for them — ‘I’m going to tell you the truth, I won’t hide anything from you and if you ask me if you played bad I will tell you that you played bad. If you want me to help you improve, we can do that’.
“It was said to me that when I became selector it would be hard to drop guys who I am friends with but Davy is very honest and he’ll tell you exactly why or why you’re not on the team. Some guys will find it hard to take and they know me enough that we can have a conversation about it. They know I’m not going to lie to them.”
Rossiter smiles when assessing why Liam Sheedy, in the aftermath of Tipperary’s win over Laois, quickly installed Wexford as favourites for their semi-final.
“We would love to be favourites because that’ll mean people are talking about us and thinking we’re hurling well but we’re fourth in the queue for the All-Ireland at the moment.
“That doesn’t bother us. Liam Sheedy didn’t come back to get to an All-Ireland semi-final. Liam Sheedy came back with one thing on his mind: Winning the All-Ireland.
“But is it as clean-cut as the bookies and everyone else seems to think it will be? I don’t think so. I think we’re there on merit, the lads have put in the effort all year around and come the last few minutes we’ll be there or thereabouts.”
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