ANTRIM’S joint hurling boss Terence McNaughton has bemoaned the club-only month of April – but the Meath hurlers face arguably bigger obstacles to be ready for their Joe McDonagh Cup clash with the Ulstermen in Navan on May 5.
McNaughton revealed the “toxic undercurrent” emerging in Antrim between club and county over the GAA’s controversial ring-fencing of April for club activity only.
The fact that the McDonagh Cup begins in the first weekend of May limits the county teams' preparations.
Compounding Meath’s woes is the fact that 85 per cent of the hurling panel are dual players.
“It’s a disaster for us,” said Meath boss Nick Fitzgerald.
“I have seen my players, collectively, once in the last 20 days and we were training [on Wednesday night] and I didn’t have half my panel there. We have a football programme that runs Thursday to Tuesday, so I won’t have my panel back together until next Wednesday [April 25].”
Waterford native Fitzgerald, who took charge of the Meath seniors in September after Martin Ennis stepped down, fears that the April break will be a momentum-breaker.
“There is the lack of time and lack of preparation,” Fitzgerald said, who will be without key player James Toher (back injury) for the Antrim clash.
“You’re trying to win as many games as you can in the National League and trying to get to a final. You then go into April and you lose your players. You lose momentum and intensity.
“Players go back to their clubs and, with the greatest respect, it can’t be the same.
“The second concern is obviously the risk of injury. And my last concern, come the 5th of May, we have four or five players who are below par and we lose to Antrim.
“And people will say: ‘Ah sure he’s not fit’, and ‘he’s not sharp’… If we’re as sharp as we can be and fit as we can be and we get beaten by Antrim, hands up. I’ll have no qualms. But if we have a few players who are flat because of a lack of hurling because of training between hurling and football that’s a big issue for me.”
Like his Antrim counterpart, Fitzgerald sees little sense in keeping April free for club action, particularly in Meath where county players do not generally play league or knock-out competition football for their clubs.
“While the county board plays a part in this, I don’t solely blame them because Croke Park or Central Council have made a statement that there is going to be a club month.
“It’s a month for club games but county teams, they say, can continue on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in terms of challenge games – but how can you play challenge matches on those nights if your players are dual players or their hurling clubs are playing the following weekend.
“You just can’t do it.”
Meath had originally pencilled in two rounds of championship games in both hurling and football this month but after consultation the hurling games have been put off until after the Joe McDonagh, which concludes on July 1.
Fitzgerald posed the question: “Why not play your league games and knock-out competition games in April as opposed to your championship?
“I’m not sure what the answer is but we certainly haven’t made things better for our players by calling April a club month.”
Meath’s Division 2A campaign was mixed, winning their opening two games against Kildare and London before losing by a point to Westmeath. They took a heavy beating at the hands of Kerry before succumbing to eventual champions Carlow in their final game.
Kilkenny greats Martin Comerford and Michael Kavanagh form part of Fitzgerald's backroom team this year.
Relegation and promotion will be part of the inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup, with the July 1 decider being played as a curtain raiser to the Leinster final.
