Limerick's William O'Donoghue insists talk of five straight defeats did not affect the team last season as they ended their run of All-Ireland titles.
While Limerick were aiming for a historic achievement, they were beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Cork, the first time Trashity County had failed to reach an All-Ireland final since 2019.
O'Donoghue has played a key role in Limerick's success over the years, winning five Liam McCarthy titles.
Ahead of Munster's tournament, O'Donoghue noted that the team had never discussed the historic run of five straight wins.
“No, it's definitely not something that was discussed among us. I think it's something that you should write and talk about, opinions in articles.
“It's really just a conversation starter. It's a completely normal and healthy conversation, but it's not something that's going to be on the players' minds. I don't think it's impacting us in any way.”
“You have a lot of time to reflect on yourself. It's quite a challenging week or month, but at the same time it's not something that makes you want to train in December or January.
“If you just dwell on the disappointment of last year, it won't really motivate you. We have to have our own reasons for wanting and wanting, not just because we didn't get past the semi-finals last year. I don't think that hunger has gone away.
“We really want to show good results in April.”
Limerick's National League campaign was a mixed bag, with the team finishing fifth with two wins, two defeats and one draw.
With O'Donoghue also among the players sidelined through injury, the squad was noticeably altered and Limerick's depth was on display for all to see.
Now fully fit for next Sunday's clash with Tipperary, O'Donoghue is looking forward to Munster's always competitive Championship and stresses the importance of focusing on one game at a time.
O'Donoghue in Croke Park where Centra announced it had extended its sponsorship of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for a further five years.
“I've never had any soft tissue injuries before and I've got two small hamstring bruises. I feel great now, yeah. I'm getting back into full training, I'm positive and I don't see any negative effects on my hamstrings, it's all good now. So hopefully that's the end of it.
“When you come back and win an All-Ireland, you probably have more pressure because you have more emotion. I don't think it's changed much.
“When you come back in December, you have enough to worry about to get through the training cycle.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
