Wexford hurling star Lee Chin has revealed that Davy Fitzgerald's only contact with his charges during his suspension has been on social media, along with the occasional one-on-one meeting with players.
Fitzgerald is banned from all hands-on hurling activity for the next month, having already served just over half of his eight-week suspension following an on-field altercation with Tipperary players during the counties' league clash in April.
Speaking to Paul Keane in The Irish Examiner, Chin explained that Fitzgerald is still finding ways to motivate his players in spite of his forced absence from training and other team activities:
In terms of his presence at training, he’s only there in spirit. All we can do is just be in contact through any other alternative.
There’s a lot of contact through mobiles and social media, in terms of WhatsApp stuff like that.
Chin admitted he's met with his county manager in private on a number of occasions, and praised his support staff's influence in Fitzgerald's stead.
He also suggested Fitzgerald might reconvene with his squad as a whole ahead of their Leinster Championship clash with Laois on Sunday.
I have [met him] yeah, on a couple of occasions. We’ve met in certain places. In some ways it’s difficult enough to try to communicate that way with your manager.
At the same time, Davy is making the best of it and doing what he can. We’re happy enough that he’s still involved and with us generally and his backroom team has picked up the reins and they’re doing a great job so far.
Maybe he’ll meet us on the bus or maybe at the pre-match meal, I don’t know, maybe something like that. Bar that, it is just going to be down to ourselves in the dressing room.
You can read Lee Chin's full interview with Paul Keane in The Irish Examiner.
