Loughnane takes centre stage

GAELIC GAMES/NHL FINAL:AFTER ABOUT three questions Ger Loughnane raised his right hand and said, "Lads, there are three other fellas at the table", - before bursting into deep laughter. He clearly realised we would happily have quizzed him all afternoon had someone not interrupted.

Few managers, no matter what the sport, can dominate these affairs on presence alone, and Loughnane is certainly one of them. And yesterday's Allianz hurling league final press conference merely underlined Loughnane's still immense presence. He doesn't so much speak as preach, and all that was really missing here was the pulpit.

To his left sat Liam Sheedy, the Tipperary manager, and his opponent on the sideline on Sunday.

To his right sat Johnny Dooley and Jim Greene, managers of Westmeath and Carlow respectively, who contest Sunday's Division Two final. Each of those had interesting things to say, but Loughnane was always going to make the headlines.

For a start, Sunday's game offers him the chance to win something he failed to do with his native Clare, at least as manager. While he famously won league titles as a player in 1977 and 1978, his days as Clare manager will be forever remembered for the All-Ireland titles of 1995 and 1997. Now, in his second year as Galway manager, a league title beckons.

"Well, I think it makes a big difference if you've won an All-Ireland or not," he said. "With Clare, we did take the league seriously, before we became champions. After that we didn't always take the league as seriously, but only after winning the All-Ireland.

"For Galway, there is huge benefit in getting to the league final. We've no provincial championship, so league matches are the only gauge of how we're going. The most important thing was to get to the knockout stages. Early on, managers are trying out new players, and the games aren't that competitive. But when you get to the semi-final and final, no one likes to lose. That's what makes Sunday such a competitive game."

With almost every question, Loughnane expands on the theme that his time with Galway is "a completely different scenario compared to Clare". Just take the mentality of the two counties.

"Since I've come to Galway, one of the biggest things is adjusting to the mentality of that county. You know the mentality of the people and the players from your own county, but there is a change when you go into a new county, and you have to adjust to that, and then get them to gel as a unit.

"Clare's mentality was they never expected to win anything. Galway expect to win everything. For some reason, there is an expectation every year that they are going to win, even though there mightn't be huge foundation for that. That expectation can lead to a lot of criticism, which often times takes effect on players.

"It was a surprise to me, first of all, to see that mentality there, and getting everyone to adjust to that took a bit of time.

"But I think it's a much happier scene, there are no rivalries, and everyone is focused on the one goal. But of course unless we win something, there's going to be no difference at all."

He couldn't compare the effort between Galway and Clare, however, because the reality is, nothing will ever compare to Clare: "There was no way I would ever be able to give the same energy as I did to Clare. When I think back now, I wonder how the hell did I do it. You'd come home from training totally exhausted. In the early years, especially, you nearly had to drag them through it. Because you knew they didn't believe.

"With Galway, because they have won underage, they have that belief, but they think it's going to be as easy. They don't realise the massive step. That's why I was so anxious last year that we meet Kilkenny. At least that way they'd get a lesson on what modern, intercounty hurling is like. And right after that game they were telling me they couldn't believe the intensity of that game. So over the winter they were prepared to work much harder."

He's also had to adapt tactics, and now realises with Galway, you need a settled team well in advance of match day: "In Clare, players often didn't know where they'd start until the day of the match. That was fine in Clare, but Galway players like to know in advance, where they're playing. And if a team has that mentality then you're better off going along with it. That's the way they were brought up.

"So now we name teams very early in the week, and we play teams exactly as they've been told. I suppose that has led to more security, but as well as that, the team has been more consistent."

Yet Loughnane still feels Galway are some way off the finished article, but at least they're getting there: "Last Sunday against Cork was a terrific game, and exposed more weaknesses in our game that we didn't think were maybe there.

"In the second half, especially, their half-back line just burst fellas out of the way. That's the way the game is, and we have to cope. I suppose Clare set the original standard for that, but it takes a few years to build that up.

"Tipp have it now. Like only 1-10 for Kilkenny down in their own pitch last Sunday was incredible.

"So for us it's getting Galway to produce the really, aggressive displays on the big days. That was lacking.

"I think this year we're much better prepared for that. After Sunday, we have two months before our first championship match, against Antrim.

"We intend on starting our championship training a week after Sunday. Because one thing I always know is that you don't feel the championship creeping up."