LIMERICK MANAGER JOHN KIELY says the warning signs Limerick received during the league should do “no harm” to their championship prospects.
The Treaty had only once conceded three goals during a single game, the 2021 Munster hurling final, since 2017 but did so on successive visits to Leeside last month.
The All-Ireland winning manager believes their leaky defending against Tipperary and Kilkenny could yet prove a timely alarm bell ahead of their opener against Clare on Sunday.
“Sometimes it’s no harm to have reminders of things that you need to do,” he says.
“That served as a really strong reminder to us that there are certain aspects of our defensive play that have to be in place. Otherwise, you’re going to be badly punished.
“We paid a price for it but hopefully the learnings that we’ve had in the meantime, when we’ve gone back and studied them with the group, will be to the fore in our games in the coming weeks.
“It’s a warning shot across our bows that we need to be very solid defensively right across the field, not just in the back six. Right across the field, our defensive work needs to be there.”
A week in Portugal was the perfect pick-me-up following the disappointing nature of their league exit. Not that it fully lived up to the billing of a warm-weather training camp.
“As it happens, conditions weren’t great in Portugal,” Kiely says.
“They got a lot of rain as well but, in fairness, we were very lucky. When we wanted to train, it cleared. When it clears out there, it goes from 15 degrees to 22 degrees literally in a heartbeat.
“It wasn’t what you might stereotypically expect of Portugal but we made the most of it, the boys enjoyed it, and it brings us further along the road in our preparations.
“We know we’ve got a little bit more work to do to be ready for championship but every session you get done is an added piece of work. It’s another bit of hay in the barn if you like.
“You feel confident when you know you have the work done and if you haven’t your work done, you won’t feel confident. So it’s about getting that work done in order to have the confidence to take on the challenges that lie ahead.”
When at home, Limerick train Tuesday and Friday nights with a game or extra session on weekends. Kiely explains that the five-day break allows for more in-depth analysis work and team bonding.
“When you’re away like that, you’re gonna get more sessions done but you can also do more specific types of training.
“It mightn’t be all full high-intensity training. You can have video sessions. You can have meetings about various aspects. You can have sessions that are low-intensity that focus in on key areas of your training.
“It just allows you time but most importantly, it keeps the group of players together for a number of days. That bond they create once they’re away during that time is absolutely key to them getting to know each other better, committing to each other for the project that they are all a part of, and for the journey that lies ahead.
“Ultimately, those ties, those bonds, that sense of unity and togetherness is a vital part of what team sport is about. For that five days, it’s a big, big part of what you’re about.”
While Kiely said the Kilkenny defeat was “embarrassing at times,” in his post-match press conference, he has been heartened by the players’ reaction.
“We knew we had work to do. We could see that from our performance on the day but to be fair to the lads, as always, they’ve given it huge energy, huge dedication, huge time to get away from work for those couple of days.”
Kiely was speaking at the launch of the ‘Win a Home in Adare’ fundraiser, with proceeds to go towards Limerick GAA’s plans for a centre of excellence at Crecora.