'It's down to who wants it the most' - Greville

Slevin’s Coaching Westmeath Senior ‘A’ hurling final

Raharney manager Johnny Greville is looking forward to the Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship final against Lough Lene Gaels on October 18, with his side aiming to build on their semi-final victory over defending champions Castletown Geoghegan.

The win secured Raharney's place in the decider, where they will face a Lough Lene Gaels side appearing in its fourth successive final. The teams met in the group stages this year, while their 2023 final encounter went down to the closing stages, with Raharney emerging victorious by 1-19 to 1-17.

With excitement building in both villages, Greville is relishing the occasion and the prospect of another championship battle.

“We are looking forward to it now. It was great to get the win in the semi-final and to be just waiting for that next two weeks to pass by. It won't be long coming around, the weeks fly in and there's great buzz around the village and around the camp,” he remarked.

Greville has plenty of respect for the opposition, recognising the consistency Lough Lene Gaels have shown in recent years and the quality they have brought to this year's championship.

“Lough Lene Gaels have been exceptionally good. They're in their fourth final, so it's no mean feat to be able to get to four finals in a row. And they've proved it this year in the championship, as I said, in numerous stages, that they've been the form team and they've been looking good,” he opined.

“The last day they were full of nerves against us; I thought it was a really good game, especially the second half. I thought it was an exceptionally good game of hurling and the likes of David Williams and all these lads are just really, really good players and have grown massively over the last number of years. They'll be huge players for them again in the final,” he observed.

Raharney's semi-final victory over Castletown Geoghegan was another significant achievement, with the champions having won two titles in succession and aiming for a third this year. Greville was quick to acknowledge the quality of the defending champions.

“They're a brilliant team; brilliant champions, as I said, after the game. It's hard enough to win one championship, but to win two and then to go for three, it's even harder. So, it was a testament to what Alan Mangan has done with the lads out there over the last number of years. And they had to maybe just fall their way this year. But, as I said, they're not going to be going anywhere,” he remarked.

“They'll be back at it good and hard over the next number of years as well. But, I suppose, from our perspective, we wanted to make sure that we went in and gave ourselves every opportunity to look forward to a county final on October 18. And we knew that we had to perform to the levels that were required. Regardless of what was thrown at us on the day, we needed to be able to adapt to that. I thought the players did that exceptionally well, and, again, just got across the line on the day.”

Greville has returned to the Raharney management role after time away and believes the success of the campaign has been a collective effort involving players, management and the wider club community. He enjoyed a stint as Meath senior hurling manager in that period.

“It's like everything else. It's a management team; and it's a group of players. That's not in any way, shape or form, trying to take away from anybody or anything else. It's a whole collective thing,” he noted.

“The background team there with Nick and Darrach and Pat and the lads has just been brilliant all year. It has been a really enjoyable experience. Maybe you come back after a little time away and you're probably enjoying it a little bit more than I did ten years ago.

“I wouldn't have coached a lot of the players throughout that ten years. But there's a lot of lads that I would have coached who are maybe at the top end of their careers. There's a lot of young fellas coming in that I wouldn't have coached at all. So, it's kind of fresh and new for everybody. But, as I said, it's just brilliant for the community again,” he added.

“There's just a great buzz. Tuesday evening, going through the village and the flags were up. You get that county final sense and that feeling. That's something you can't buy, no matter whether you're in one every five years or in one every year. It's something that sticks with you. I think that epitomises what it means. I'm sure it's the same in Collinstown. This one means just as much as the previous three or four they've been in.”

Greville knows what it takes to win a county final, having enjoyed considerable success as a Raharney player before moving into management.

“I won three, luckily enough,” he said, modestly.

“For the first one, we had a bit of a famine there for about 12 years. And I was lucky enough to be captain in 2006. We went to a replay against Castletown and won that. We went on the next year. I think we were beaten in the semi-final. The next year we went on and won another one. Then I retired in 2010 and took up the management reins with Raharney,” he rcalled.

“I spent many years there as well. I ended up in, I think, five finals and won three of them. I had a great time and great memories from that. But, as I said to the lads, that's history. That's yesterday. We're trying to create a different tomorrow.”

The two teams have taken different routes to the final, with Raharney having to negotiate a semi-final while Lough Lene Gaels secured direct passage to the decider. However, Greville does not believe that either route necessarily provides an advantage.

“I don't think so. I think it's something that you manage. Lough Lene Gaels would have prepared for that, the same as every other team. Because that was the scenario, regardless of where you ended up,” he observed.

“If you ended up in the top three, the top team went straight through and the next two played a semi-final. I'm sure that they used it well, as any other team would, and had a bit of time, maybe, to rest and recuperate.

“I suppose, they had the luxury of sitting back and watching on last weekend; having a good look at both teams and seeing who came out the other end of it. But I would say they're going to be in a great position. They have that four weeks.

“And we feel we're in a good position after a good performance. And just hopefully we will have the bodies right and the minds right, and hopefully go out and perform again the next day,” he added.

Greville acknowledged the difficulty of predicting how a championship decider will unfold.

“It's a county final - it's so difficult to know what will happen. They tend to be just to-and-fro. It really comes down to, at the end of the day, who wants it the most,” he opined.

“Both teams are going to be in it and both teams want to win it. And sometimes, maybe, the hurling isn't as good as it would be earlier in the championship, or sometimes it can be a humdinger of a game.

“It really just depends on when that ball is thrown in at 3 o'clock on October 18, what transpires over that following 60-odd minutes. That will determine where the cup ends up.”

Injury concerns remain, with Eoin Keyes unavailable after a demanding season, while Michael Doherty is also dealing with a long-term injury.

However, Greville believes the squad has shared the workload well, with several players making important contributions throughout the campaign.

“The load has been shared out amongst the group and it's brilliant. Eoin Keyes, for example, has just been brilliant all year. He was very good for the county as well. He was carrying that form into the club scene. It just caught up with him.

“Injuries do, unfortunately, when you're a dual player at that level. Particularly with the level of detail he puts into it. But he'll get a job, don't worry about that! He'll have plenty of work to do for us over the next couple of weeks to keep the lads moving along,” he remarked.

“Michael Doherty is another young player: he played all our games up to a point and, unfortunately, he has a long-term injury as well. So, for players like that, it's tough.

“They've been really brilliant with the group and driving things on and helping out and really pushing lads across the line. I suppose that's going to be the big thing over the next couple of weeks, to really get lads in a position to be able to go out and perform to the best of their ability,” he added.

The Greville name is synonymous with Raharney hurling, and Johnny is managing a team that includes his two brothers. However, he believes the occasion is about much more than family connections.

“I don't know, to be honest. I'm so used to it. There were several years there, I would say, when I was manager that I couldn't call in for a cup of tea because I might have dropped one or the other!

“I would be getting the cold shoulder at home! But luckily, the two boys are playing exceptionally well. And they're really putting the shoulders to the wheel,” he said.

“I think it's more of a community thing. I think it's really about everybody. With Nick (Weir) and Pat (Cunneen) there and the connection with the families, and all of those bits and pieces down there, it's just great. It's just a great feeling and a great buzz about the place. I just think it's really about the community. I know I've said that several times, but coming to the village in the evening, that's the overall feeling that you had coming through.

“The camogie team reached the senior final, the minor hurlers are in the final. Then the games the following weekend as well, the intermediates and seniors.

“Having two teams in two marquee finals is great to have. We've over 50 lads out training. It's brilliant to have that at this time of year. And you can see the buzz and the bite in lads, and they're really looking forward to and enjoying the build-up to the two finals,” he enthused.

Greville also paid tribute to the backroom team whose work has helped Raharney prepare for the biggest occasion of the season.

“Nick Weir and Pat Cunneen and Darrach Fleming. Myself and Nick have worked together several times over the years. And Darrach was part of the management team the last time. Pat was part of it as well, which is brilliant.

“We've Luke Finnegan (strength and conditioning). He's going out with one of the girls in Raharney and he's brilliant. We have Dermot Moran as a goalkeeping coach.

“He's from Na Fianna in Dublin. I worked with him when I was in Meath and over the last number of years, over in Dublin as well. A brilliant coach.

“He brought that group of All-Ireland winners in Na Fianna in Dublin through the ranks. He's really enjoyed being down around the group as well,” he remarked.

“It's a collective thing right across the board. And we've Kevin Riggs and Graeme Riggs there, who are kind of kit men. For me, they're the most important people in the backroom team.

“The lads bring an energy, bouncing around the place, making sure everybody's taken care of. That's all part of that community spirit, club life, friendship and connection, which is brilliant.”

With the village behind them and another county final within reach, Raharney will be hoping to turn their preparations into a championship-winning performance on October 18.

For Greville and his players, the goal is to make new memories and bring the Westmeath Examiner Cup back to Raharney again.

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