Two of the most successful managers of the past decade, Mickey Harte (Tyrone ) and Brian Cody (Kilkenny ) are to launch their autobiographies in early autumn.
Harte whose team look a very strong possibility to collect their fourth All-Ireland in this decade next September is being ghost written by Michael Foley who is the GAA correspondent with the Sunday Times.
Foley’s previous book “Kings of September” was a very fine read and won the Boylesports Sports book of the year in 2007.
If that standard of writing, allied to some of Harte’s repertoire of stories and anecdotes from their first ever all-ireland success in 2003 up to 2009 should provide some quality entertainment.
Cody too has had phenomenal success with Kilkenny – claiming six All-Ireland titles – and he is considered by many hurling aficionados to be one of the, if not the greatest hurling manager of all time.
His book is being written in conjunction with Martin Breheny of the Irish Independent.
Cody pointed out during the week that - "I know that the difference between winning and losing can be minute, and I hope that in my book people can see what exactly has made the difference for the Kilkenny hurling team”.
And just to get your blood racing and give you a glimpse of a Kilkenny dressing room before they go out on the field of play, he added the following:
"This is a book about pride. It is about self-belief and it is about ambition. More than anything else, however, it also about humility and the absolutely vital importance of understanding that every single day of your life, whether you are a sportsperson or not, is a day to be discovered and challenged."
Yikes, perhaps John McIntyre and his team could get a sneak preview of it off Breheny – who is a Galway man – before they face the Cats in Tullamore on Saturday week.
Nicky Joyce will be a loss to Galway’s chances of regaining Connacht title
The news that Nicky Joyce has been dropped from the Galway senior football panel is a blow to his county’s chances of retaining the Connacht championship. On his day, Joyce could pop over a few crucial scores and if on top form, he has the potential to be a match winner.
In particular, if playing well he would have lightened the scoring burden on Michael Meehan. That said if the management team felt that he was not adding value to the panel, then he had to go. Obviously Liam Sammon and his management team were not happy with things as they were and they decided to make changes.
Building a winning team is not easy and you need everyone rowing in the same direction.
In general, it is difficult enough if someone is resting on his oar and others are doing most of the rowing, but if someone is seen to be rowing in the opposite direction to his team-mates, everyone suffers and the group’s chances of success are put at risk.
Players are quick to observe if any other member of the panel is not carrying their share of the load or putting in what is considered the normal effort and commitment. Disharmony can spread like a bushfire if there is not fairness and equity within the entire panel.
The decision is Sammon’s prerogative. To win the big prizes everyone must have a positive role to play, and anyone with talent and something to offer who is off either a county or club panel, is a loss.
Joyce’s absence will provide a starting role for someone else against Sligo on June 28.
One man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity.
This weekend’s action
Cork take on Kerry again in the Munster championship replay on home soil on Saturday evening (TV3 at 5pm ) and with Kieran Donaghy, Tommy Walsh and Killian Young all out, Conor Counihan’s men have a great opportunity to finish the job they started last weekend.
Once they manage to keep Colm Cooper on a tight rein it is difficult to see where Kerry will get sufficient scores from play to advance to meet Limerick in the final.
Later on Saturday evening in Dr Cullen Park Kildare face Wexford (RTÉ2 at 7pm ) in a game that they are expected to win. The winners face either Louth or Laois in a fortnight and that represents a great opportunity for Kildare to push on and reach a possible Leinster final.
On Sunday Westmeath take on Wicklow in Tullamore (RTÉ2 at 2pm ) in a game that pits a division two team against a division four team. Mick O’Dwyer will have his men “in the zone” and he will remind them that they beat Kildare in Croke Park last year, however you have to go for the 2004 Leinster champions to set up a rematch with Dublin in two weeks time.
In the other games, it is difficult to look past Donegal getting over Antrim in Ballybofey and perhaps Louth having too much for Laois in Parnell Park.
So if I was doing an accumulator for a laugh, I’d go for Cork, Kildare, Westmeath and Donegal to win. Safer to leave out Louth as they are too volatile and anything could happen in that one.
