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26th February 2018
05:05pm GMT

"In Clare, I think the management left it up to the boys to make the decision - but I don't think they should have done that, I think they should have just said lads, look, play your Fitzgibbon final. We'll see you Tuesday night. Enjoy the nights."The Whitegate club man went on to criticise the abolishing of the Fitzgibbon weekend. The abolishing of the social aspects of it.
"The sad thing about the Fitzgibbon now is that the social aspect is probably fading away because of county commitments... I think getting rid of the weekend is a joke as well. "It was some craic, there was some pride, but now it seems like the best team will win rather than the best panel - Fitzgibbon was always about your panel and using your 22 guys or whatever. That's what created that bond. It was all about the weekend," he said.
"What is the Fitzgibbon Cup all about? It's all about the social aspect to it, you know the training before Christmas, the bonding sessions. It's really all about the nights out, the stories, the characters you'll meet. "From Conor's point of view, he was made captain yesterday, so it's very hard for him. I can see why Conor would have jumped at the opportunity to line out for Clare, I think he should have gone out, he should have been with the UL boys and had the craic...Cleary likes a beverage from time to time."He feels Maloney and O'Connor should have followed Brian Cody and Michael Ryan's lead.
"He probably made up for it last night, alright. I think the managers should just have done it like they did in Kilkenny and Tipp, 'Look boys, we don't want to see you until Tuesday or Wednesday night.JJ Delaney agreed with Bugler, referencing how Brian Cody treated him and other Kilkenny Fitzgibbon players back in his time.
"At the start of the week, they should be fully focused on playing the Fitzgibbon final and trying to win that for their team. There are only a certain amount of years you can do that. When we were hurling Fitzgibbon with Kilkenny, Brian Cody was in favour of, 'you go hurl with your college and do your best for them. A Fitzgibbon final is what it's all about.The legendary Kilkenny defender believes Cleary would have struggled to focus on his county duties, while all of his teammates were out celebrating.
"I'd be under the impression that, after a match like that, you should go celebrate with your teammates. Why are you doing all the training? Why are you putting out a lot of hardship. That'd break my heart, after winning a Fitzgibbon, to go home, you'd be wondering what the lads are doing, you wouldn't be focused on the next match, like. You're never going to get back that night."In the grand scheme of things, it might have worked out better for everyone.
"We'd give more back to the Kilkenny set-up, then, because we had our fun, now it's time to focus back down again."JJ, Wooly and Brendan Bugler discussing the weekend's action and much more from Thursday's GAA Hour Show. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/nolan-park-classic-pairc-ui-chaoimh-strand-not-celebrating-fitzgibbon-cup
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