Iain Corbett relishing 'big games that you want to be playing in' ahead of Austin Stacks tie

NEWCASTLE West face the might of Kerry's Austin Stacks in the Munster senior club football championship semi final this Sunday.

And, the Limerick SFC winners have to go to Tralee into the home grounds of Austin Stacks for the Munster club SFC tie.

But none of that deters Newcastle West and Limerick captain Iain Corbett.

"It’s big games that you want to be playing in - these are the days that you want to be playing. With all the fans and the band that goes along with them it will be a cool occasion to be involved in but we are just looking forward to it as a team," said Corbett.

"It will be a battle all over the field and we are looking forward to it. We just see it as a challenge. Obviously it is a challenge in itself to win the county. We are an ambitious team and while we are still in the championship we are going to give whoever we are playing a competitive game and see where that takes us. Once we won the county and finished the celebrations we fully focused on The Nire and now its all Austin Stacks," he outlined.

Newcastle West dethroned Adare in the county final to win the Fr Casey Cup but by their own admission they were slow to start in the chanpionship.

"Within Newcastle West we would always see ourselves as being up at the top table in Limerick. In July and August we mightened have looked great and got a bit of a clipping off Monaleen and we struggled to beat Galbally but as the year went by we improved as a team - once we get rolling we are a decent team," smiled Corbett.

Key defender out injured as Newcastle West play Austin Stacks in Munster club semi final

"The Fr Caseys game did probably show us that we can up it a level. We have a very healthy rivalry with Fr caseys from once we start playing football at U10s so we were fully focused on that and after that maybe lads started to see where we were at and it was knockout football after that," he recalled.

Earlier this month, Newcastle West ended Limerick's hoodoo in this competition - defeating Waterford champions The Nire.

"The whole Limerick football thing for the last 13 years and while it didn’t have a massive bearing on us it was nice as a county to get over that and thankfully we were the club to do that. From my own experience in the two previous years in Munster we would have come up short in narrow defeats so it was nice to get over the line in a tight game," said Corbett.

What of Austin Stacks?

"I was in college back in Tralee so I crossed paths with a few of them and a few more during inter-county games and what not. Austin Stacks are formidable all over. Joe O'Connor has been the break through player of the Kerry club championship and he has a few cousins from Newcastle West so we have had a passing eye on him!" said Corbett, referencing the Hurley brothers, who are cousins to the Stacks midfielder.

"The lads would be telling us about their great cousin!" he joked.

Newcastle West lost the coin toss and therefore travel in Tralee for the provincial semi final.

"I’m sure the surface behind in Tralee will be up to a good standard but it is still a week before Christmas so it’s going to cut up. It’s the week before Christmas so I don’t think we will be going back wearing shorts and vests!"