John 'Tweek' Griffin: It's important Kerry stay in Joe McDonagh Cup
SLIGHT TWEEK: Kerry manager John Griffin giving his players information. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.
John Tweek Griffin is following in the footsteps of Kerry’s previous two senior hurling bosses in Fintan O’Connor and Stephen Molumphy, who since the Joe McDonagh Cup began in 2018, not only kept the Kingdom in the competition but reached three finals, although all three were lost.
So while, for a variety of reasons, Tweek has inherited a much changed squad of players that, based on league positions, are the lowest ranked of the six teams competing this year, how important is it for the former Christy Ring winning captain to keep Kerry in Tier 2?
“If you’re trying to develop a group you want to be playing at a higher standard of hurling. That’s it," Griffin begins.
“It’s important for this group to stay in the Joe McDonagh it’s as simple as that. It’s important for the group at the start of every year that we’re playing at our level and we’d feel that the Joe McDonagh is our level for the group we have at the moment.
"We can’t guarantee anything. It doesn’t bother me one bit as a manager, I can only prepare the team as best I can. We’ll go after every game for what it is and see where it takes us.”
So how has Tweek found the bedding in process as a new manager with a relatively young and inexperienced squad and is he feeling any pressure?
“It’ll always bring its pressures, because that inter-county season is so short. It’s like a rollercoaster as well and once you start it’s very hard to get off of.
"The year flew I have to say, but your league is over now. Its three weeks since we’ve been in the league. We’re into championship now and I’m a lot more, maybe, comfortable in the role.
"I have got to know the group a lot more. You take on a job like that; I played against lads and played with some of the lads, and worked with some of the lads in the past in different capacities.
"At this stage, I’ve really gotten to know the group and what they’re about and what they’re capable of. That includes the backroom management team, it includes all the players.
"I’ve enjoyed the last few months and I’m a lot more comfortable now, but there’s always that little bit of an edge involved at this level. That edge I enjoy also, trying to get more out of the group, can we get better, finding gaps where we can improve on in everything we do both on and off the field.
"I enjoy that process, trying to find those small gains in those areas.”
How does the Kerry boss read the draw with three tough games away and only two at home?
“Again it’s not a big factor?” he says.
“Obviously going up to Down is always a tough trip. We have Laois away and Kildare away in the first game. There’s no easy game there. You have Carlow, who seem to be going well in the last few years.
"They really, like we spoke about with Down, but they’ve a group that stuck together the last few years. We’ve Westmeath in the last game here in Tralee towards the end of May.
"Home or away they’ll all be tough games being honest. It’s not a big factor, but you’d hope that a place like Austin Stack Park a fortress, we’ll try and win and perform in those home games, that’s going to be important.”
And how does Tweek rate Kerry’s chances against Kildare?
“We haven’t look past Kildare since we went back training a couple of weeks ago after the league. Obviously, they beat us well in the first game above in Newbridge. Probably felt it was a new group, our first game in the league also.
"It was their second game. They are a group who has been together the last few years, they’d like to feel they’re a progressive county with the numbers that they have, and Naas are doing very well at club level up there.
"We’ve always had a good bit of a rivalry with Kildare at Christy Ring level. That has developed to Joe Mac level now. We never feared Kildare, we know it’s going to be a huge challenge, we know where they’re at the moment.
"But like I said earlier, whoever we play in the Joe McDonagh you have to go after it on any given day and see where it takes us. If it’s good enough it’s good enough, if you're short on any given day so be it, but they’ve a couple of really good players.
"We’ve looked at the way they play, but it’s also important that we focus on what we’re good at as well, our own strengths, our own natural ability and we’d like to think if we do that we won’t be far away."
On the injury front, the manager has both positive and negative news.
“Eric Leen is back, Eric was travelling, he’s back and look he’s a really good leader within the group, and a really strong personality. Shane Conway is still carrying a niggle so, look, we’re unsure at the moment whether he’ll be ready for the weekend, but hopefully will be ready for another game within the Joe McDonagh.
"Daniel Collins had a long-term injury. He’s back doing a bit of running and hopefully he’ll play further down the line in the Joe McDonagh. Thomas Casey is back with the group.
"Óisín [Maunsell] should be okay. He played a part on Friday night in a challenge game.”
Kildare v Kerry, Newbridge, 2pm
Kerry v Carlow, Austin Stack Park, 2pm
Laois v Kerry, TBC
Down v Kerry, TBC
Kerry v Westmeath, Austin Stack Park
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