Trying to mimic Dublin's professionalism and follow their sports science driven approach to training has simply not worked for Westmeath in recent years, so according to former captain Denis Glennon his county are going back to basics ahead of the 2015 season.
The 30-year-old corner forward believes that the county’s new senior football manager Tom Cribbin has the right idea in re-introducing “lap training” to the team’s winter pre-season programme.
"I think with Dublin so far ahead with their professionalism, we're all looking in at them and what they're doing and trying to compete with them and trying to adjust our training and adjust our style of play to try and get up to their level, but it hasn't worked. They've just separated the gap and gone even further ahead."
“So it’s refreshing to go back and do the really, really tough running and I think it can only be good when you can come up to Croke Park and can run for 70 minutes solid.
“The training we’re doing is tough, it’s the hardest training I’ve done since Páidí Ó Sé time, it’s really going back to basics with laps and that but I think it’s something with a fresher approach in this generation, that you go back to that type of training and I’m enjoying it.
“It’s tough and because it’s tough it’s bringing a lot of team bonding and lads are walking off after training saying Jesus lads were after going through the mill there together and and we did it and we pulled together. It’s bringing back that bond.”
Long waits
Excluding Wicklow who have never won the Leinster senior football championship, the other 10 teams competing with Dublin in the province have a combined wait of almost 300 years since each of them last won the trophy. Dublin have won nine of the past 11 titles.
“In Croke Park against Dublin when they start to open you up you just feel like you’re chasing shadows and you’re trying your best but you’re not getting as close as you should be.
"That's every team not just Westmeath, coming up here to play them you can be steam rolled within minutes. I remember chatting to Paul Galvin last year when we were playing Dublin in the next match and he just said to me, and he's a Kerry man who has won All-Irelands, All Stars, he said you can't let them get a run on you up there because they'll just open you up.
“Everyone is aware of what they can do - so I think we have to try a fresher approach to our training now to try and compete with them.”
Format
For the former All Star nominee Dublin’s provincial dominance has been compounded by an unaccommodating championship format which last year meant that Westmeath played only two championship games.
“It’s very frustrating because if you go into Leinster and your on Dublin’s side you could have one game and you’re gone then into the qualifiers with your confidence shattered.
“Lads leave the country to try and get money, maybe in America or Australia or wherever and they lose interest after training hard all year and that’s not good for the GAA.”
Nonethelss for Glennon, now over the work related back injury he picked up last year, Westmeath’s old school pre-season stamina and morale boost is exactly what’s needed going into the new year.
“Tom Cribbin has come in and he has everyone in doing the same thing, where before lads were off doing different things in colleges or wherever, and he’s brought a fresh approach which seems to be working.”
