LIMERICK BOSS JOHN Kiely has hit out at the restrictions which prevent all of his squad members from currently attending their hurling championship games.
Kiely watched his team retain their Munster senior title today but says he is ‘quite offended’ that ten players on the full Limerick senior panel were not allowed to be present.
The GAA is operating under the Government’s protocols for elite sports which only allowed for those on the 26-man panel to be at matches.
“We’ve 10 players at home, which in my view is completely and utterly unacceptable, given that I’ve 20 reporters standing in front of me and I’ve 10 of my panel at home. I’m quite offended by that situation we’ve been put in.
“I would appeal to the authorities at government level, at national level, to end this nonsense and allow the panels across all the county teams to be together. Because that unity that’s involved with 36 players is crucial. Our players should not be at home when we’ve 200 plus people in a stadium watching the match. Our players should be here, with their colleageus. As far as I’m concerned that cup won’t be presented until Tuesday night and we get to training with our full panel of players.
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“That is a government decision I’m told. But listen, whoever is making the decision I disagree with it.”
Given the number of people present in Semple Stadium for media, stewarding and other purposes as the game took place, Kiely does not believe there is a greater risk in allowing all of their players to attend matches.
“I don’t agree with the premise that we can have 200 plus people in the stadium, which were here today watching this match, when my ten players are at home this morning.
“Training number one in order to keep their load up to the equivalent level to ensure that if they do get called up next week they don’t get injured because their load isn’t right. So that to me is just not acceptable because I don’t believe there is an inherent risk to ten of those players coming with the rest of the group, in their own car like the rest of the group, siting in the stand, watching the match and being a part of our group after we’re finished.
“I don’t agree with it, I’ve a strong objection to it. I have made representations, I have been heard but the situation still stands.”
Kiely had been expecting a major challenge from Waterford and that transpired before his team secured a four-point success.
Limerick's Sean Finn and Gearoid Hegarty celebrate after the game. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“They brought a ferocious intensity to it. brought a really crowded middle third. Were very direct in their running. The support runners that they had were coming off the shoulder constantly. They’re a fine team. We knew that back in February, knew it in March. I’ve been saying it all week. We were expecting a really, really difficult challenge and it came exactly that way.
“I’m just delighted our boys stood up to the challenge and kept their composure and ironed out the result maybe on a day when they didn’t play at their very, very best.
“But you’re not going to play your best every single day you go out but you’ve got to still find a way of winning. And I’m delighted with the way our lads kept their heads, kept their composure and worked so so hard in that final quarter to see out the game.”
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John Kiely: 'I would appeal to the authorities at government level, at national level, to end this nonsense'
LIMERICK BOSS JOHN Kiely has hit out at the restrictions which prevent all of his squad members from currently attending their hurling championship games.
Kiely watched his team retain their Munster senior title today but says he is ‘quite offended’ that ten players on the full Limerick senior panel were not allowed to be present.
The GAA is operating under the Government’s protocols for elite sports which only allowed for those on the 26-man panel to be at matches.
“We’ve 10 players at home, which in my view is completely and utterly unacceptable, given that I’ve 20 reporters standing in front of me and I’ve 10 of my panel at home. I’m quite offended by that situation we’ve been put in.
“I would appeal to the authorities at government level, at national level, to end this nonsense and allow the panels across all the county teams to be together. Because that unity that’s involved with 36 players is crucial. Our players should not be at home when we’ve 200 plus people in a stadium watching the match. Our players should be here, with their colleageus. As far as I’m concerned that cup won’t be presented until Tuesday night and we get to training with our full panel of players.
“That is a government decision I’m told. But listen, whoever is making the decision I disagree with it.”
Given the number of people present in Semple Stadium for media, stewarding and other purposes as the game took place, Kiely does not believe there is a greater risk in allowing all of their players to attend matches.
“I don’t agree with the premise that we can have 200 plus people in the stadium, which were here today watching this match, when my ten players are at home this morning.
“Training number one in order to keep their load up to the equivalent level to ensure that if they do get called up next week they don’t get injured because their load isn’t right. So that to me is just not acceptable because I don’t believe there is an inherent risk to ten of those players coming with the rest of the group, in their own car like the rest of the group, siting in the stand, watching the match and being a part of our group after we’re finished.
“I don’t agree with it, I’ve a strong objection to it. I have made representations, I have been heard but the situation still stands.”
Kiely had been expecting a major challenge from Waterford and that transpired before his team secured a four-point success.
“They brought a ferocious intensity to it. brought a really crowded middle third. Were very direct in their running. The support runners that they had were coming off the shoulder constantly. They’re a fine team. We knew that back in February, knew it in March. I’ve been saying it all week. We were expecting a really, really difficult challenge and it came exactly that way.
“I’m just delighted our boys stood up to the challenge and kept their composure and ironed out the result maybe on a day when they didn’t play at their very, very best.
“But you’re not going to play your best every single day you go out but you’ve got to still find a way of winning. And I’m delighted with the way our lads kept their heads, kept their composure and worked so so hard in that final quarter to see out the game.”
Subscribe to The42′s new member-led GAA Championship show with Marc Ó Sé and Shane Dowling.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
GAA Hitting Out Hurling John Kiely Limerick