Focus must shift to Limerick and Galway - Floyd

By Shane Brophy

County Board secretary Tim Floyd has said that Tipperary’s focus on mastering Kilkenny in hurling over the last decade has allowed the likes of Limerick to surpass them and that their focus needs to change.

Commenting in his report to 2020 County Convention last month, the Newport clubman said that many within the county had become almost obsessed with matching Kilkenny, rather than watching what other counties were doing.

“For many years, overcoming Kilkenny was our main goal,” he said.

“In the last five years we have managed to win two All-Ireland’s to their none. During that time, we matched and mastered the Kilkenny style of hurling but because of our obsession to beat them we allowed Limerick and Galway move in and become new threats to our ambitions.”

The Newport clubman said the physical approach brought by Limerick and Galway in recent years has proven to be the Tipperary’s undoing at senior level and that finding a way to deal with that needs to be their focus.

“The styles of Galway and Limerick are similar with the combination of power and skill being used to the greater advantage,” he said, adding that the winter championship in 2020 played into their hands, rather than Tipperary who prefer the fast ball on the hard ground.

“The winter championship of 2020 is probably not the best gauge, but it now gives us a chance to reset and plan,” Floyd concluded.