Padraic Mannion laughs as he's asked about reports earlier this year that Polish strength and conditioning coach, Lukasz Kirszenstein, could depart the Galway set-up to join Munster Rugby.
His amusement was due to having just been asked a similar question. At Croke Park on Thursday morning, the 2017 All-Ireland winner had minutes earlier been queried about another rumoured possible loss to Galway hurling: Johnny Glynn.
"The lads were just asking me there about, 'Is Johnny Glynn back?' and I said I'd seen the story in the paper about two weeks ago that said he's not coming back to Galway, which was the complete opposite [to the reality], because he is back," Mannion told Balls at the launch of the 2018 Cúl Heroes collection of official GAA trading cards.
Glynn spent recent years working in New York - he travelled back for last year's championship, starting the All-Ireland final against Waterford. Mannion says his inter-county teammate is now back for good.
"He played with his club Ardrahan there last weekend.
"He's staying, he's training with us (Galway). He's never in bad shape, he's very good for looking after himself. I'd say he's always doing something to keep himself in shape."
As with reports about Glynn's availability, there had been similar bemusement among the Galway panel regarding rumours about Kirszenstein.
It was the same with Lukasz, I don't know where they got the story out of that he was going somewhere else.
The first we heard of was when we read it in the paper and I think it was the first Lukasz heard of it as well.
Kirszenstein, who has previously worked with the IRFU and the Tipperary hurlers, was a key addition to the Galway backroom staff last year. There has been a chorus of praise for the coach from the reigning All-Ireland champions.
"He's great to have around," said Mannion.
"He has great experience behind him. Individually, he assesses everybody and sees where they can improve.
"He knows the players now, he has that extra year with us; he knows the players inside out."
Now 25, Mannion's previous injury troubles have been regulated by the strength and conditioning programme. He had suffered from back problems but is now playing injury free.
"When Lukasz came in, we could have been on a plan already. He wasn't coming in starting from scratch, people had a decent base built up.
"I think with strength and conditioning, you're not looking for a quick fix. You're always trying to think of the long run and how you don't want to overdo it now and then in a year's time you're struggling.
"I think players individually know that you just have to keep going, try to keep improving session by session, game by game and year by year - you keep building."
Cúl Heroes, the official trading cards of the GAA/GPA, launched their 2018 collection at Croke Park with brand ambassadors James McCarthy and Padraic Mannion as well as Noelle Healy and Gemma O’Connor. Cúl Heroes is entering its fourth year on the market and aims to continue its promotion of Gaelic Games, the players and the unique skills of our national sport. In attendance at the launch is Galway hurler Padraic Mannion at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
