“There is nothing like a Limerick crowd when they smell blood.”
– 1978 Munster legend Moss Finn speaking during Monday night’s ‘Alone It Stands: The Documentary’ on Setanta Sports. Know what he means, just the timing was unfortunate given the tragic events of the past fortnight.
“It’s gone so crazy at this stage. Hurlers don’t want that. We had it in May, with what went on with Justin but we didn’t want it to come that. All you want to do is to hurl to the best of your ability, to have the conditions for that to happen – you want to agree with what’s going on, with the way training is going and you have to be happy with all of that. Players want to hurl, but with everything that’s involved, you want to have things right. Often people don’t realise what’s happening behind the scenes, what’s involved, what way the training is going, and unless you’re actually there, you can’t understand. I can’t comment on how Gerald McCarthy was working with Cork, but he was a good trainer for us for a few years. I don’t know how it went for the last few years in Cork, but I know that after seven years with Justin, things had gone a bit stale, and maybe that’s all it was. But unless someone is actually there, involved, they won’t know the full story.”
– Seán Óg Ó hAilpín’s fellow Adidas ambassador Ken McGrath empathises with the Rebels’ plight.
“As players, I don’t think we want a celebrity management – I think we want guys who are there for the last couple of years, know what hurling is all about, and know the more scientific side of it. Hopefully, they’ll bring that to it and get the best out of us… The players have a lot to answer as well on that because we didn’t perform, so I don’t think it’s all down to him.”
– Galway’s Joe Canning says goodbye if not good riddance to Ger Loughnane. A case of ‘He’s A Celebrity – get Him Out Of Here!’ perhaps? Michael Bond is the anti-celebrity candidate.
“I accept that Sean Óg has a very busy life. His substantial commercial interests arising from his Cork hurling career, dealing with his agent, his membership of the GPA, his job with Ulster Bank and his on-off role with Cork, must make it difficult to find time to reflect. If he did find time, then perhaps he wouldn’t be flip-flopping around the place and changing his mind about my abilities as a coach, to suit the agenda of the day.”
– Gerald McCarthy decrees what’s good for the goose… It’s after getting nasty alright in the People’s Republic, but undeniably entertaining all the same.
“If we were starting this year and there was a team out there that had won the last three All-Ireland finals there would be a massive drive and ambition to knock that team and stop that run… Obviously we are there to be taken on in a major way now. That is great for us as well. The whole thing is a challenge and challenges drive on the really serious people in sport.”
– Brian Cody is back for more. As serious as a man can get.
