ADAM HOGAN believes Clare will be resurrected on Easter Sunday.
The Banner secured league and All-Ireland glory last year, with corner-back Hogan named Young Hurler of the Year.
He was speaking at Croke Park as leading online sportswear retailer oneills.com announced the fourth year of their O’Neill’s U-20 Hurling Championship sponsorship deal with the GAA[/caption]
But Brian Lohan’s men have had a disastrous defence of their NHL title and are already relegated to Division 1B with four defeats from five games.
Clare were walloped 6-20 to 0-23 by Cork last time out at Cusack Park.
And they host the Rebels again in their April 20 Munster SHC opener — which will also be a repeat of last year’s Liam MacCarthy Cup decider.
Having also gone down to Kilkenny, Galway and Wexford, the Banner face Tipperary in their last league game in Thurles tomorrow with nothing to play for but pride.
But with the full-back line alone having shipped 6-10 against the Rebels, Hogan insists that his side must right the wrongs before the Championship.
Feakle man Hogan said: “We haven’t been up to scratch and we haven’t been good enough.
“The last day showed that we weren’t good enough.
“We pride ourselves on not letting lads have easy goals and to be honest, they did get easy goals.
“We looked back at the footage and we have massive areas of improvement to get right for Easter Sunday.
“After the league now we’ll have all eyes on Cork and getting it right. Thank God we have four weeks to get everything right.
“We’d be confident now, because I know the calibre of player we have.
“Hopefully we show up on Easter Sunday because they came with more fight and grit and they wanted it more — so hopefully we right that wrong.”
While last season’s Young Hurler of the Year is raring to go, Hurler of the Year Shane O’Donnell is out of the picture.
The Éire Og Ennis man was the lynchpin on their path to glory last summer, but has been ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury.
O’Donnell turns 31 in June and this latest setback has sparked fears that his days in blue and gold could soon be over.
Hogan, meanwhile, is confident that the Banner still have enough quality in attack — particularly 2013 Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly — and the panel will back whatever O’Donnell decides to do.
CAN MANAGE
The 22-year-old said: “He’s such a good lad and he’s given so much to Clare hurling, he doesn’t need to give back.
“But I’d love to see him back in a Clare jersey because when he’s on the field, he can do something special.
“Everyone is in shock at the things he does, but we see in training how good he is.
“It’s obviously a big blow losing the Hurler of the Year.
“But I’m confident we have the calibre of players like Tony Kelly and Peter Duggan and Mark Rodgers.
“We have the leaders like Tony. I know Shane, it’s hard to replace him but we have the players.
“Hopefully during the league lads will have put their hands up as well.”
CLARE star Adam Hogan was speaking at Croke Park as leading online sportswear retailer oneills.com announced the fourth year of their O’Neill’s Under-20 Hurling Championship sponsorship deal with the GAA.