By his own admission, Lee Chin did not have as good of an Allianz Hurling League campaign as he would have liked. There were times when he felt inconsistent, drifting in and out of games.
That's an alley out of which he has identified a route. It's all about being smarter when he's not in possession.
"I have to make different runs, I have to get to other areas of the field and I have to improve on my defensive game at the moment," Chin told Balls at the launch of the 2018 Beko Club Bua award scheme in Croke Park last week.
"When my team is not in possession I just have to work harder to win dirty ball, to break it down, maybe overturn one or two balls to get on it myself."
Chin's efforts from placed balls have also been part of that inconsistency. A number one free-taker is an element Wexford must add as they look to become a serious All-Ireland contender.
"It's probably a bit of question that we ask ourselves at times," said Chin.
It's one area that we definitely need to improve on is a free-taker within the panel.
I wouldn't have been known for free-taking over the last number of years; with my club at home, I wouldn't have been. I worked on it over the last two or three years and got myself to a certain level and I started hitting with the club back at home and I showed a great deal of consistency.
Last year, for the long-range frees, Davy showed his faith in me to hit them and Conor Mac was hitting the closer ones, 65m in. It worked out for us some days and it went against us other days.
The 25-year-old started this year's league as the team's number one free taker. It was not a role he retained throughout the campaign. Though, a hamstring injury sustained against Clare would have affected that status.
Chin admits he lost some confidence from dead balls. Ultimately, teenager Rory O'Connor took over.
"Lookit, Rory O'Connor is a fantastic free-taker with his club, most of the year with his club last year. He can hit them well and it was great to see a young man like himself just taking over when I felt my confidence wasn't there at the minute - I was happy enough to hand them over to him.
"It's probably something that Davy doesn't put too much pressure on any of us about taking them. Davy's motto with frees is, 'If you're confident hitting them, you hit them'.
"It's something that I would have been confident with over the start of the league but with my injury and stuff, maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence in my game and stuff as well and the fitness levels that I found it maybe just messed me head up a small bit.
"It was great to see Rory come in and take over and do a good job over the last couple of days."
Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
