Joe Molloy was joined by Bernard Jackman and Kieran Cunningham on the Sunday Paper Review to discuss the dynamic of relationships between management and players.
The Galway hurling team ended their 29-year wait for an All-Ireland in 2017 when they beat Waterford in a tight win at Croke Park last September.
Former Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin spoke in the Sunday Times about his relationship with Brian Cody during his playing days and the different approaches his manager adopted.
Galway manager Micheal Donoghue will be tasked with leading his players into another All-Ireland challenge after enjoying a season to remember.
And Cunningham believes Donoghue will have to find the right balance in his relationship with his players if they are to continue being successful.
“When you have a breakthrough All-Ireland like Galway there’s so many functions that players and management go to and they spend a lot of time in each other’s company,” Cunningham said.
“And the distance isn’t there. It can be dangerous for coaches and players. And Henry Shefflin makes the point about Brian Cody socialising with his players on holiday at the beginning of his time with Kilkenny.
“But a couple of years into his tenure they would see him at the airport and then wouldn’t see him until they got the plane back. He deliberately kept that distance because he had to make the hard decisions.
“Micheal Donoghue is coming into a summer where he’s spent a lot of time with his players and that could be a problem.”
Bernard Jackman, the current head coach of the Dragons, shared his own approach to maintaining a healthy sporting relationship with his players.
“You have to be very careful about how far socially you go with your players,” Jackman added.
“Eddie Jones spoke at a coaches conference last week and he spoke about having professional relationships. With coaches it’s about what you can do to make players better today.
“Obviously you want to understand people’s families, friends, issues and all of that. But you have to try and not get carried away with that.
“I think you need to have a good relationship with players – have a rapport – but be very careful socialising because at some stage you’re going to have to make a decision about the future.”
Written by James Hopper
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