Ross Munnelly: Laois feel the Kerry influence

Ross Munnelly at AIB's launch of the GAA All-Ireland SFC. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Given Mike Quirke is the fifth Kerryman Ross Munnelly has had as Laois manager, the veteran forward has a unique insight into what makes them tick.

It all began for the 37-year-old with Mick O’Dwyer at the end of 2002 and since then he has been coached by Liam Kearns, Tomás Ó Flatharta, John Sugrue, and now Quirke.

Ahead of his 18th Championship campaign which he hopes extends beyond Sunday’s Leinster quarter-final clash with Longford, Munnelly says the managers’ determination to play the game the right way links them all.

“I think a common theme with all the Kerry managers is that they want the team to play good football. Good football in their book means smart football where you get the basics of the game right. We know the skills of the game haven’t really changed, even though the tactical and physical elements have, but Mike is very focused on playing good football and wanting players to express themselves.

“As a player, when a manager wants the game played in a certain way, it’s up to you to get your skills up to the level so that you can play that kind of way. I think that puts a responsibility on us as players that if your manager wants to play good quality football, that you have your skills good enough so you can contribute to that.

“We all know from watching Kerry teams and listening to Kerry GAA people over the years, they expect good football and Mike Quirke expects good honest, fair, and committed football. For us to stay up in Division 2 in the way that we did, I come back to those two massive results against the two teams that were promoted.

“This year we’ve a never-say-die attitude. We got a result very late on against Roscommon when they looked like winners and we did the same against Fermanagh. We’re very pleased with that and we’re happy to be carrying out what Mike wants us to do on the field.”

Players had hoped Sugrue would stay on for a third season but Irish Examiner columnist Quirke softened the blow.

“From a personal perspective, when Mike was unveiled as manager, I was really excited about that because Mike had done some work in the media, he had been on podcasts and writing articles and he spoke a lot of sense.

“It was obvious that he was a believer in the way football should be played and so on. I think we had two fantastic years with John, and I think we were re-energised then with meeting Mike and how he spoke to the squad.”