Shrule/Glencorrib must plan without three key forwards
Interview
Rob Murphy
MAYBE the footballing public in Mayo were getting a little tired of the Shrule/Glencorrib storyline, perhaps the plot needed some shaking up. Well, if it was a soap opera the writers would have made headlines with this season’s script.
Three of the show’s main characters up front have departed the scene; two of them inter-county household names and the other a club stalwart, all gone in one fell swoop.
Now everybody is wondering how the South Mayo amalgamation are going to fare this season with Trevor Mortimer working in Kenya, his brother Conor transferring to a club in Dublin, and Brian Murphy picking up a contract with Connacht rugby.
The opening episode might well start with manager Ger Butler driving out the gates of Barna GAA club, next to his home outside Galway city, after coaching their promising U-12 team. He then points the car in the direction of Shrule, heading for a 7.30pm training session.
“You can use all this as an excuse if you want,” says the former Shrule and Mayo forward.
“Or you can get your head into the next training session and drive on. We’ve had a good few months on the training ground and two bad defeats in the league. Both were down to slow starts where the lads were clearly missed, but that’s all part of the learning curve.
“We can’t depend on Conor inside anymore to get the scores,” he told The Mayo News.
“We’ve lost Trevor, who is worth three men in terms of work-rate, and Brian Murphy, one of the physically strongest players we had.”
Last season ended with a quarter-final defeat to Ballintubber after a typically unpredictable group campaign that started slowly in Ballina and ended with a whimper in Tourmakeady; in the end only ‘points difference’ got them into the knock-out stages.
Last year was Ger Butler’s first back with his home club. He didn’t work with Conor Mortimer until the end of the season but the player’s dedication to get back to full training as early as possible impressed the manager. He slotted Mayo’s all-time leading scorer into a slightly new system where he and Mark Ronaldson were no longer the main focal point of attacks.
“Conor has changed his game this season and his work-rate off the ball is a lot better. We didn’t have enough time with him last season but the way he conducted himself during rehab from his injury was superb. He was back ahead of schedule and ready to play a role for us come the last eight.”
Butler’s admiration for Trevor Mortimer is clear; he had a full season to work with the long-serving county man who has now departed for Africa due to work commitments.
His commitment to the cause and work ethic will be missed on the Dalgan Road.
“I admire Trevor for having the gumption and balls to head off to Kenya and use his mining qualification to earn some money,” says Ger Butler.
“The business is just not happening here at home and he’s just getting on with it. I suppose I spent my own life putting football first and never had the chance to travel, he’s taking his opportunity. It’s disappointing for the team but we’ll get on with it.”
Shrule/Glencorrib are at home twice in the group stages for the first time in four years of championship football. In fact, even their away trip is only up the road to Garrymore so the fixtures have been kind to the border ramblers.
However, next Sunday’s visit of Knockmore will go a long way towards defining the rest of their summer. And some young forwards will get their first taste of senior championship football as life begins without the Mortimers and their war-horse Murphy.
Good luck to them.
