Proper order.
John Meyler loves being involved. The Cork hurling manager doesn’t have a moment to spare and you get the impression that he wouldn’t want it any other way.
This is a man who has trained the senior hurlers of Kerry and Carlow in years gone by. This is a man who has trained Cork’s under-15 and 16 sides up along through the ranks. Only last year, he was in charge of the Rebels’ under-21 hurlers, while also being a selector on the county’s senior team. He travels over to his son David’s Championship matches in England every other week.
“I’ve been doing it for 30 years. I enjoy doing it. I cycle, I go to soccer matches in England. I organise my time. I’m six weeks ahead of myself, I know where I’ll be in six weeks. I try squeeze everything in. It might mean driving through the night, but so be it,” he told us at the Allianz Hurling League 2018 Launch.
61 years young.
When Kieran Kingston left the hot-seat of Cork hurling vacant last year, citing work commitments, Meyler, who was born in Wexford, was seen as the natural heir to the throne.
After a few minutes of chatting to him in Croke Park, it’s easy to see why. The former All-Ireland winner with Cork is more in touch with the modern game than most.
This is a man who has years of experience behind him. But a man who excels where most others of that ilk fall down. Instead of thinking he’s seen it all, instead of thinking his methods that led him to success in the past will still cut the mustard, Meyler is well aware that the game has changed, he’s even more aware that to survive he’d have to adapt. He’s made it his business to do exactly that.
He’s not blinkered. He sees the forthcoming year as a big challenge for every county team, given the huge increase in the number of games they’ll be playing, but he has plans in store for that. He has plans in store for every one of his Rebels. Regarding training, regarding their workload, the games they will and won’t be playing, regarding his use of substitutions and sport science.
Allianz hurling leagues launched with Derek McGrath, Colm Callanan, Seán McGrath & John Meyler. Best wishes to all teams & supporters.
Hurl, Sliotar,,,Action. pic.twitter.com/23EOKfWDh8— Aogán Ó Fearghail (@aoganofearghail) January 22, 2018
As is the way in most modern day GAA panels, not all players are based within the county. Three of his players are in college in Limerick. He doesn’t want them down for every midweek training session. He uses his head – and many other managers around the country can learn from this. He lets them train with their Fitzgibbon Cup team. He knows it’s not ideal that they’re not present, but he also knows it’s better for them not to be facing a two/three hour midweek trek after a day in college.
Many club managers order their club players to make the long journey home for training, instead of them joining with a city club for midweek trainings – just because they can. Meyler treats them like people. Not just GAA players.
“Say the three fellas that are in Mary I, do they need to come down every night of the week? No. Can we get them training with Mary I? Yes. It’s getting that right. I keep talking about balance but that really is what it comes down to,” he said.
The older statesmen with family commitments are treated similarly well.
“It’s about getting the balance right between education and between sport and your social life as well. The older fellas then that are working and have got families, they’ve got to get that right. I think it’s all about balance. You really have to be organised.”
He knows these Cork players have a huge grá for their clubs. So then, for April – which is down in this year’s GAA calendar as a club only month – he will be letting them back to their clubs. That Cork county championship will go ahead as planned.
It’s simple. But the margins are fine between a good and a bad manager.
“It’s critical. You’re going to have to see that early on. With April being a free month for the club, you’re going to have to put players on programmes. We’ve analysed that, we just need to follow that up.
“Yeah. I don’t see any difference there. Cork have always ran off their club championships well and I don’t see any difference there this year,” he said.
His knowledge on the science of human performance and recovery is wide-ranging. It’s something he attributes to his close relationship with his son David. He’s learned from David’s soccer coaches at Hull City and at Sunderland, and he feels this year, with games coming week on week – that GAA players will, for the first time have to prepare both mentally, and physically, like professionals.
“I used to love going down to Sunderland when he was there, and going down to Hull when Steve Bruce was manager. I would’ve looked at all of their coaching sessions to have seen what they were at. I would’ve looked at Cork City sessions, too, because they’re in the college there as well. Just to see what they’re doing – like seeing coaching as distinct to training and physical training,” he said.
It’s always about moving onto the next game.
“That’s the difference in professional sport, it’s over, move on, forget about it.
“If you push players, all that loading will break them down. Tracking that is critical. The whole sport science part of it, the performance part of it has to be monitored.
“And I’d know that from David, he’d say I’ve a slight niggle and often when he’s at home he’d ring the physio. He has to report in injuries. You can’t feign anything.
“The Strength and Conditioning work, the fitness work – it’s crucial. Even Donnacha O’Callaghan said that guys are far bigger now than what they were when he was that age. There’s a lot asked of them young fellas to come through. A lot of self sacrifice in terms of gym work, study, fitness and that.
With the round-robin series being introduced for the championship, he knows players won’t be able to play the full 70 minutes every day. He’ll be utilising his substitutions and his panel well.
“It’s critical then, who we have. The subs will be so important. It’ll be like rugby, like a prop – they can only play 60 minutes,” he added.
Allianz and the GAA today announced the renewal of Allianz’s partnership with GAAGO which will make over 50 live Allianz League matches available to global audiences. In attendance at the Allianz Hurling League 2018 launch at Croke Park in Dublin is Cork manager John Meyler.
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