Gearoid Hegarty has dismissed some of the hype surrounding the Limerick hurlers as “nonsense” and “crazy talk” as they start their four-in-a-row tilt this weekend.
Hegarty linked up with Joe Canning at Croke Park yesterday for Bord Gais Energy’s ‘It’s Anyone’s Game’ campaign and with the former Galway star now living in Limerick, he had an interesting take on some of the loose talk around the county and how it could potentially take the edge off John Kiely’s all-conquering side.
“That's probably their biggest danger - not the complacency in players but the talk around them, the supporters and their families and stuff like that,” said Canning ahead of Limerick’s Championship opener against Waterford in Thurles on Sunday.
“I'm hearing they're going to win six-in-a-row, you know, that's the talk around Limerick at the moment. Now, with supporters, the players aren't saying that obviously.
“But I think that's probably going to be their biggest fear, of listening to outside noise. Because if you're talking to people and they're telling you you're great the whole time, you'll probably believe it.”
Given that only two teams in the history of the game (Cork 1941-44 and Kilkenny 2006-09) have achieved the four-in-a-row, suggestions that Limerick will extend their winning run right up to 2025 is taking expectations to extreme levels.
Hegarty admits that “you hear it from time to time” but says he doesn’t “expose myself too much to situations where you hear a whole lot of that”.
“I’m living out in the countryside now, I’m out living in Dromcollogher in West Limerick, right on the Cork border,” he explained.
“I actually came out of my house this morning, there was an ‘Up Cork’ written on my car.
“I’m literally right on the Cork border so I actually meet more Cork people than I do nearly Limerick people but yeah, you hear that nonsense. That is crazy thinking.”
As a devout supporter of Liverpool FC, Hegarty is acutely aware of how teams can move from seemingly being at the peak of their powers to suddenly finding themselves in freefall.
“Sport changes very, very quickly. Look at the drop-off they’ve seen this year, like it’s incredible, it’s mad. That’s the way sport is. You never know what can happen.
“We won the League final last week but you’ve two games in six days, if you’re not 100% focused, 100% focused, if you’re a small bit off, you know, that’s high level sport for you.
“It’s crazy to see the drop-off in Liverpool this year, going from almost winning everything, a kick of a ball from winning everything, won the two cups, beaten in the Champions League final, beaten in the Premier League by a point, they were a kick of a ball from winning everything, going down as maybe the greatest team ever to an incredible drop-off.
“They mightn’t even finish in any European spots so it’s insane. It’s mad what can happen from year to year. We’re taking nothing for granted - that’s crazy talk.”
Canning views Sunday’s Waterford test as “a dangerous enough game” for Limerick and Hegarty is respectful of the challenge that a side managed by Davy Fitzgerald will pose.
“In fairness to Davy, I’ve never spoke to the man, I’m fairly sure. And I don’t know him on a personal level. But everywhere he’s gone, he has been extremely successful.
“He won an All-Ireland with Clare, he won a Leinster with Wexford out of nowhere. Obviously he got to an All-Ireland final with Waterford in his first stint.
“So everywhere he has gone, he has been successful. There’s a reason for that and you’ve got to respect that. Obviously he’s a top class manager.
“You’ve got to respect that he gets the most out his players everywhere he goes. I’m sure they will bring something different this Sunday. We’ve seen a few different bits and pieces in the League that are different to maybe any team I’ve seen before.
“They have a very unique puck out strategy. I’m sure they will bring something different. But you’ve got to trust that Paul Kinnerk will have us ready. And we’re as prepared as we can be going into this Sunday.”
Many anticipate that Fitzgerald, always an innovative thinker, will lob a tactical curveball at Limerick on Sunday. What that might be is anyone’s guess, and for that reason Hegarty acknowledges that “you probably can’t prepare for it”.
“We never focus too much on the opposition anyway. We do a little bit of analysis on them, maybe on the week beforehand or the Tuesday night before it but 95% of the game plan is all around making sure we’re looking after ourselves. We’re as prepared as possible, that we are in a good position, we’ve trained as hard as we can. Things like that.
“We always focus on ourselves. There would be a small bit on the opposition, very little. We focus on ourselves to make sure that we know what we want to do, that we’ve on the ball with what we want to do and so on and so forth.
“I’m sure he will bring a curve ball. It’s fresh, I think it’s great. I hope he does. You could see him do anything this weekend and that keeps you on edge and I like that.”
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