‘They thought we were finished'- John Kiely hits back at Limerick doubters ahead of Munster final against Cork
WITH Limerick looking primed to get back to where they once belonged, John Kiely believes the calibre of coaching provided by men like Paul Kinnerk has been the driving force behind their remarkable consistency.
Since Kiely took the reins in 2017, he and Kinnerk have become the most successful John-and-Paul duo since Lennon and McCartney.
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Limerick manager John Kiely with the Mick Mackey Cup after the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final last year
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Limerick and John Kiely face Cork this weekend in the Munster SHC final
The top of the charts is a familiar vantage point for a
A record-extending seventh consecutive Munster SHC title is also at stake against
'It's only through good coaching that players are going to improve, be it in their conditioning or their hurling.
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"And we've got fantastic coaches who've been involved with the players over the last nine years — just incredible coaches.
'Paul Kinnerk leads the coaching programme and, as we all know, Paul leaves no stone unturned. His attention to detail is unrivalled.
'But most importantly, his innovation in terms of his coaching, in terms of the impact he can make on a game through his coaching over multiple seasons.
"I think it can be seen in how our team has developed over the last eight years.'
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While coaching expertise is the mechanism that keeps the Limerick machine functioning so efficiently, affording gifted players like Cian Lynch a licence for individual expression is also a key component.
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Lynch's assist for Adam English's goal in the recent round-robin win over Cork was a moment of magic. But is it something that can be coached?
Kiely said: 'No, that's just him. That's just Cian. Being a good coach, sometimes you want to put too much of your own will and shape to everything.
'I think there's also an acknowledgement that good coaching is allowing players to be themselves and bring their natural attributes and skill-sets and flair to the game of hurling — or any game really, for that matter.
'For Cian to be able to do that now at this stage in his career, I think it's brilliant. It reflects well on Paul and all the coaches that a player can express himself on the pitch.
'I think we've all come to expect that Cian has that ability to find a pass and see movement where others can't see it.
"It's a joy to watch and all we can do is ensure that the environment encourages that flair.
'And when it doesn't happen, it doesn't come off, there's nobody going to be giving out, 'Why did you do that?' It's a case of on to the next one and try it again.'
When their quest for a historic Liam MacCarthy Cup five-in-a-row was foiled by Cork last summer, the likelihood of the result marking the beginning of the end of an era shaped the debates about the future of this Limerick team.
Six of their starters against the same opposition last month are now on the far side of 30.
Yet they made a mockery of suggestions that the end is nigh by producing one of their most impressive displays to run out 16-point winners.
And Kiely cited recently retired Munster rugby ace Peter O'Mahony, who was appointed Ireland captain at the age of 34, as an example of what is possible in the twilight of one's career.
He stated: 'We've always done right by the lads medically. If they weren't fit, they didn't play. We've always treated them extremely well that way. That's being borne out now.
'They're really, really strong. I think the support that's there for the players now, it means they can go on for many, many more years than what they would have done 20 years ago even.
'I think you can see that in the professional game of rugby, where players are peaking in their early 30s. Peter O'Mahony is a perfect example.
'I think it's really, really important that we acknowledge that the envelope for players to enjoy it is there. We don't almost pre-empt an earlier than necessary stepping-away from the game.
'We need to make sure that the boys can enjoy the time playing the game that they love.
'I think that's the most important part of it and acknowledging along the way that there are going to be dips in their form, dips in terms of their physical readiness, and we have to try and support them through that the best we can.
'But definitely there are much, much longer careers now. Look at Patrick Horgan, he's a perfect example of it. It's great to see.'
Cork ace Horgan, hurling's all-time top scorer, and Kilkenny's TJ Reid are both still going strong, aged 37, at the highest level of the game.
Asked if he reckons any of his players could match that longevity, Kiely insisted: 'Absolutely, yeah. Why not? Maybe longer. I think that's all doable.'
Now in his ninth season at the helm, Kiely's tenure got off to a relatively inauspicious start. Limerick fell to Kilkenny at the first hurdle in the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2017.
After losing their Championship opener to Clare in a Munster semi-final. With the benefit of hindsight, it would be easy to assume that he could already see the glory days on the horizon.
After all, the Shannonsiders captured that year's All-Ireland Under-21 title with a team that included seven future All-Stars.
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But Kiely laughed: 'All I saw coming was a phone call to say, 'Thanks very much' at the end of 2017! I spent four months waiting for the call.
'I'm glad my phone wasn't working, whatever it was, or somebody had the wrong number. That's all I saw coming.
'We knew we had made improvements — of course we did. The impact of the coaching had definitely begun to embed, I suppose.
'On reflection now, you'd have to say that to get a team to a level of performance takes time.
"And for people to get to know each other, to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, to embed principles into your coaching and your playing, it takes time.
'We now have a great appreciation of how long that actually takes.'
And while the chance to achieve something unprecedented slipped from their grasp at the penultimate stage of last year's Championship.
Kiely does not lament the shedding of the additional baggage that they had to carry throughout the journey.
He said: 'The first words out of everybody's mouth that you'd meet when you go to the shop or go to the post office or go to Mass — it was almost the first line at Mass.
'So it's definitely no harm that it's finished with.
'It would have been lovely to do it, of course it would, but such is sport and we move on to the next challenge and we don't look back very much at all.
'You have to embrace the hurt, you have to embrace the disappointment and you have to try and make yourself better.
'Definitely 2024 is in the rear-view mirror.'
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