The last thing Gearóid McInerney needs any warning about is this undeniable trend of beaten provincial finalists struggling to win again in the qualifiers. Especially when that beating is such a deflating one.
Not for the first time in football, all four provincial losers − Donegal, Kildare, Roscommon and Limerick – couldn’t rise above the setback of defeat in their respective finals as they made their championship exit in the last round of football qualifiers last weekend.
This weekend it’s the turn of the hurlers, beaten Leinster finalists Galway up first against Cork in Saturday’s two All-Ireland quarter-finals at Semple Stadium (1.45pm); beaten Munster finalists Clare later play Wexford (3.45pm).
It will be just two weeks since Henry Shefflin’s Galway withered against Kilkenny, Brian Cody’s team more than comfortable five-point winners in securing a third Leinster title in succession, his 18th in all. Cork meanwhile finished off their provincial round-robin series in a hurry to nail third spot, then put up 3-27 against Antrim last weekend.
McInerney sounds hopeful Galway can rediscover winning form on Saturday and he’s not without reason. Two years ago Galway also lost the Leinster final to Kilkenny, then beat Tipperary in the quarter-final before losing to outright champions Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final.
“Look, it was a disappointing performance, we didn’t really reach the levels we expect of ourselves,” McInerney says of that Leinster final. “We’re not trying to think about it too much, but at the same time you need to take your learnings from it and move on to the next game.
“It’s great the way the games are coming thick and fast. In that sense, you can move on from it, you’re not dwelling on it too long.
“The main thing is to try and get the performance. When you get the performance, you’re 90 per cent there. You put yourself in a good position to win the game. So the best we can do is focus on getting our performance right for the next day.”
For McInerney, the 2017 All-Ireland winner and All-Star centre-back, there was clearly some difficulty and frustration with the way Kilkenny lorded the middle third of the field the last day, preventing some of the searching runs he’s known for.
“I suppose on the day it just didn’t go our way. We were just below par. It can happen in sport. The game is evolving the whole time. Different teams are trying to figure out different teams’ ways of playing, and vice-versa. The most important thing is being able to play off the cuff and change in-game to adapt to different situations. That happens on the field.”
He senses too there’s some constant change in the style of defending over the years. “Different teams have different styles. Some teams like to puck it long. Some teams like to work it short. Sometimes, it can go a bit of both. You don’t know what kind of game is going to be thrown your way. It has changed a bit.
“Teams build up play, they like to build it up and all that. It’s still hurling at the end of the day. You just need to be able to adapt as the years go on.
“We’re kind of looking at ourselves individually and how to improve for the next day, get yourself right, get the mindset right. It does hurt, of course, losing a final. But the fact is we’re still in it. So it’s important to train your way out of it, what you need to improve on or work on, it’s important to get that in.”
After the retirement of Joe Canning last year there was always going to be some element of transition, McInerney at age 31 one of the so-called elders at this point. Conor Whelan has certainly stepped up after Canning’s retirement, Tom Monaghan also making his mark again among the forwards.
McInerney has praise for them both: “Conor was always a leader. He’s someone who always seems to step up on the big days and the small days. He’s always there. You know what you’re going to get with Conor. He’s one of the most consistent players in the country. But he’d have his work-ons too like the rest of us. So we’re just gearing up for the next day.
“He [Tom] has stepped up massively. He moved away from the panel and he’s back on it again this year. That was going off club form. Obviously Henry and the lads have been watching club games during the year and they felt his performances were good enough. And he’s brought that form onto the intercounty team.
“The great thing about being a new player this year, or someone coming into it, you’re going to get plenty of games. So that’s plenty of games to improve your game to get to the intensity.”
On the nature of his manager, McInerney is perhaps more cautious with his words, though Shefflin hardly concealed his look of dismay at the way their Leinster challenge finished up.
“I suppose he has his own unique style. He’s his own man in a way. What he has done as a player speaks for itself. With the lads around him, and the background team around him, trying to pick the panel now is tough.
“He kind of does his thing. As a manager, he’ll always be looking out, overseeing everything, making sure it’s going well.”
The pressing challenge now being to ensure it can go well for Galway this Saturday.
