Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Wexford's Conor McDonald rubbishes notion of shadowboxing in National League
Last Updated: 21/01/20 6:18pm
Armed with two years of experience under the new hurling championship format, county managers may look to adopt an experimental approach to the upcoming National League.
Tipperary did not set the world alight in the 2019 springtime, and looked far from their best in the quarter-final defeat to Dublin. But two months later, they hit full stride for the championship.
Of course, not all counties may write off the National League, and Wexford's Conor McDonald rubbished the notion of holding back when asked if we may see shadowboxing in the coming weeks.
"Every game you go out to win. Well, I know I do, anyway," he said.
"I've yet to meet a manager or meet a group of players that go out and would be happy enough to just go out and shadow-box for 70 minutes. I don't think it's really in the GAA atmosphere to do that.
"If we go to O'Moore Park this weekend with the attitude of saying we're going to shadow-box, then we won't be long about being blown out of the water."
The Yellowbellies want to win at every opportunity, and got 2020 off to a victorious start last weekend when they sealed the Walsh Cup.
"Nothing's really won this end of the year but sure you'd rather win games than lose them," the Naomh Éanna club man said.
"It's obviously important to try and get a winning streak before you go into games like that. You'd rather get into a winning streak rather than come back off a defeat."
Last year was a hugely promising season for the Model County, as they picked up a first Leinster title in 15 years. After coming so close to toppling eventual champions Tipp in the All-Ireland semi-final, expectations are raised ahead of 2020.
However, the squad are staying grounded.
"I think we have to try to get out of Leinster first to be honest," said McDonald, when asked of Wexford's goals for the season. "[In 2019] we were a point away from getting beaten by Kilkenny down in Wexford Park, we would have been out of the championship and I probably wouldn't be sitting here thinking how will we progress, the question would be a little bit different."
Bugler coming on board
One change Davy Fitzgerald has made is the introduction of former Clare hurler Brendan Bugler to the backroom team.
It's an appointment that excites the squad.
"He's come in as a forwards coach and a general analyst. He's come in to give us a different aspect on everything," explained McDonald.
"He's not long out of the game, he understands the modern game an awful lot at pitch level and he sees things that other coaches might not see which is obviously brilliant.
"He's very hands-on as well. His drills are top-class, and he's very game-oriented in the stuff that he does in training.
"He's very level-headed and he'd throw the arm around the shoulder and tell you if you're doing something right or wrong. I'm sure if he needed to get his point across someway he would as well.
"Davy wouldn't bring him in unless he had something to add. I wouldn't say he just brings people in just to get freshness. He's bringing him in to do a job.
"He wouldn't bring him in just to be sitting there or carrying water-bottles or whatever it may be. He's bringing him in to do his job and it seems to be working out at the moment."
