Limerick manager John Kiely will not accept any slacking off from his players as he plots to defend their All-Eire, Munster and Division 1 titles.
Right after yesterday’s determination, collective schooling has been pushed back again to February 1 with the 1st spherical of the Allianz Hurling League perhaps commencing at the start off of March.
Irrespective of modifications, should really Limerick reach a 3rd consecutive Division 1 ultimate, it’s nevertheless probable it will choose area two weeks in advance of the start of the Munster senior hurling championship in April or May perhaps.
Speaking to the , Kiely insists he is not perturbed by any brief turnaround that may well be offered to his workforce. “I’m not in the slightest little bit worried about it. The boys experienced a extended sufficient break in 2020 – if any fella rocks on telling me he’s drained, I’ll swing for him,” he laughs. “I don’t believe there’s going to be any issue with tiredness.
“We will be on the lookout to create extra gamers as a result of the league. We won’t be killing fellas possibly but they will be finding their requisite amount of video game-time to get them ready for the Championship where by our most important concentration will be. The lads are making the most of their hurling at the instant, they are enjoying their time in just the team and any time they are away from the team from a prolonged interval of time they frequently occur again champing at the bit to get going once again. So I think they will appreciate this crack and we’ll all seem forward to 2021.”
Kiely recommended his players, primarily these who were questioned to fill new roles in replacing hurt workforce-mates. He couldn’t say more than enough about how Dan Morrissey and Barry Nash took to filling the spots previously crammed by Mike Casey and Richie English in the whole-again line.
“We did go through some cruel blows. We shed Richie English previously in the season. We lost Shane Dowling at the outset of the Championship and we misplaced Mikey Casey halfway by way of it. These are significant blows to acquire.
“The way Dan and Barry went about their enterprise to get up all those roles for the Championship that was an unbelievable accomplishment for them to locate a amount of being familiar with and general performance with Seán (Finn) in that comprehensive-back again line. That was a massive problem but they went about it quietly and methodically and the unity of the team really shone out in how the 3 of individuals went about their company and that was really critical.”
Kyle Hayes’ clean return to the half-back line was just as pivotal, Kiely highlighted.
“Kyle was definitely a incredibly significant player for us at 11 over the very last 3 seasons so to choose him and area him in the wing-back again posture was a further significant decision on our aspect and a single that was not taken frivolously. It actually showed how significantly we felt the likes of Gearóid (Hegarty) and Tom (Morrissey) and David Reidy around that aspect of the industry could make up for Kyle’s absence. And just like ’18, the lads coming off the bench made an effects just about every working day and that was an additional substantial element.”
So though it was felt Limerick were being taking part in in just on their own up to the ultimate acquire more than Waterford, Kiely interpreted it as a group coping with what was place in front of them.
“I would not explain our performances as lacking consistency or missing a little something. What you observed was a team who had significant issues set in its way not just externally from the oppositions who were coming at us difficult and fast and with quality but also internally with the injuries and retirement that we experienced and asking players to adjust to positions that are quite complicated.”
As for their composure in the closing quarters of their 5 Championship wins, Kiely set that down to their concentration ranges.
“I just actually see the players not differentiating between the first minute of the video game and the final moment. They see each perform if you like as a piece of perform that’s there to be bought at and maximised in conditions of its output.
“That in by itself generates a really crystal clear concentrate on the principles. They genuinely concentrated on their task no matter whether it was hoping to overturn a puck-out or two there against Galway or just securing ball and continuing to run off the shoulder and make a bit of room and consider on pictures.
“It wasn’t always that they had to rely on any psychological energy or just about anything like that. The force our panellists set on the lads who start out on a extra common basis was big.
Kiely accepts the soaring selection of Covid cases is troubling but is looking forward to the new calendar year with general optimism.
“I know it is hard to see them at the minute but finding individuals vaccinated and loved ones and operate lifestyle can gradually but absolutely resume to a normal level and that goes for sport way too.
“Those are excellent factors to search ahead to. I sincerely hope that we can make that form of progress in excess of the early portion of the yr and make sure you God by the summer months time we will back again in stadia with plenty of folks roaring and shouting like mad.”
