Back a few years ago - May 2004 to be precise - in the midst of the PJ Whelehan era, Ger Loughnane penned an article on the fortunes of the Limerick hurlers.

The article opened with the famous tale of the waiter delivering champagne to the hotel room of, the late George Best. He was thrown on a bed, with Miss World on one side of him, and thousands of pounds in casino winnings on the other side. “Mr Best, asked the waiter, where did it all go wrong?” Four years on, and Loughnane could print the same article again. After the latest Offaly debacle, I sat in my seat in the North Stand at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night last in bewilderment, and two days later I remain in bewilderment.

The first observation is one that has been made many times in many years by many shrewd observers. The skill levels of the Limerick players are not as high as in the other strong counties. The skills of the game are not taught at twenty or thirty years of age. They are taught when young kids are barely out of nappies. The occasional latecomer may slip through the net, but by and large, those who win All Ireland medals are men who have mastered the skills from a very early age. If a team has players who are limited skill wise, then they must compensate with fitness, aggression and intensity. And even that may not be enough. The primary school is where many greats learned their trade, where teachers had time to nurture the skills, to view each child as a hurling project.

Despite the protestations of teachers in the primary school circuit, overrun with the demands of the curriculum and a lack of interest in doing the GAA’s work, it’s the only way to restore credibility to Limerick hurling. The GAA are too fond of putting Gurus in charge of pipe dream projects like Limerick City, when the money spent would be better off in Knockainey, Ballyagran, Cappamore, and Tournafulla. Perhaps its time for the GAA to review the spending policy, and put a greater concentration of quality coaches into rural schools. That is the long-term solution to what has been a long-term problem. We also need to put an end to these frustrating launches that are purely cosmetic exercises, and nights out and free meals for people who want their photographs in the newspaper.

The short-term solution is more soul searching. What we have as our management team, are no Brian Cody’s, or Donal O’Gradys. We have a group of passionate Limerick men, stung by the defeat in Ennis two years ago, and prepared to have a go at resolving the mess. Richie in ways was good for the players in that he took the camera attention away from them, and became the leading act at the circus, while everyone else did the real work. But as Charlie Carter said recently in a newspaper column, “The circus is over”. Does the desire of the players, match that of the management? Are either party fully aware of the need to look at last year and think “It wasn’t enough, we need to step it up more?” Is the management a single unit? Are there too many members of the management team? Did the management become too close to the players?

The management recognised that Limerick were struggling to get results against the top teams, without certain players who weren’t on the panel. The current management allowed a certain leeway, which maybe other managers wouldn’t have tolerated. And it worked, in 2007 at least. The players sickened by recent defeats to Tipperary finally shook them off, and the year opened up for them. But the problem was that Tipperary didn’t lie in wait this year. In fact, nobody knew who Limerick would face in 2008 until Clare beat Waterford a few weeks ago.

Contrast that to the winter of the previous year, where the sight of the Tipperary jersey would have been enough to drive them on, and the first round of the League at Nenagh provided the players with an early focus to set down a marker for 2007. There was no such focus in this years League, and with the players still in Winter holiday mode, my perception is that the lesser players were sent out to face Tipperary, purely because there was a fear the first team would be hammered. The task was simple, put out the panel against Tipperary and Galway, win the other games, and put the first team out for the quarter final. Win or lose, there was a long way to the championship and things would be right by then. Hindsight is a great thing, and being totally honest I bought into the theory myself. But the plan didn’t work.

But when did the rot set in? My own opinion is that it set in last August on the day where Richie uttered the following words “We got five goals and Dan the Man got none”. It was a moment of passion, a moment of exuberance, and never meant as a kick in the teeth to Waterford, but it signified what would become a loss of focus. My personal belief is that underdogs in an All Ireland final should act like underdogs, not be seen or not be heard for a month. You hear this story about if you can’t handle the hype, what hope have you in front of 80,000 fans. Sadly it’s an old wives tale. The players are there to win a match; the supporters are there to enjoy the occasion. When you have the cup in the bag, you can do all the enjoying you want.

Yet Ollie Moran protested in a recent interview that the players were too sheltered, and Mark Foley did likewise earlier in the year. But neither was opening supermarkets in the days leading up to the final. And it’s no coincidence that both were Limerick’s best performers in that final. An All Ireland title is too precious to not leave every last stone unturned. I don’t recall Frank Lohan or Ollie Baker being in the limelight in 1995 and they have their medals. And when you have a large management team, direction becomes scattered, varying men with varying views on focus etc. It can be hard to keep a handle on it all, and while Richie was the media front, he was not the man wielding the whip like a Loughnane or a Donal O’Grady.

And the funny thing is that had Limerick beaten Clare, they would have given Tipperary a fair old rattle yesterday, although with only one game behind them, they wouldn’t have been as tuned as they were after last year’s trilogy. There’s a fine line between success and failure, and that same fine line ultimately separates turmoil from harmony.

And where do we go in 2009? We must start with next Thursday, and the under 21 team. I fear a battering in this game, and I sincerely hope it does not occur. There has been a widespread view since 2005 that the Tipperary minor team that year were ambushed in Kilmallock, stunned by the atmosphere of that tight ground. There has been a feeling that that the 2005 vintage, were a superior side to those who claimed back to back All Ireland titles in 2006 and 2007, and revenge is on the agenda.

But regardless of Thursday night’s result, these are the players next in line for senior duty. If Bennis and Co. are to remain, then hard calls will need to be made. Some players will have to be culled. Perhaps a Cody-esque ruthlessness, of circa 2002 or thereabouts. The perception among Limerick supporters is that while Limerick are a limited team, that they are capable of living with the best, and capable of getting a run of momentum together. The booing at half time the other night, acceptable or not, was an indication that the supporters feel that with decent application, Limerick should not be so far behind in a home qualifier to Offaly. We can’t always be blaming the manager, although I feel it would be tempting to have a chat with Justin McCarthy, probably the only proven ‘silverware winning’ manager who would touch what are essentially damaged goods.

Limerick hurling is not for the first time, at a crossroads. There is a road to civilisation, but things have to change. The big question is will they?