Hogan, McGrath and O'Mara are the fresh faces in Tipp selection
Kiladangan’s Barry Hogan will make his debut for the Tipperary senior hurling in goals against Limerick in the opening round of the National League this evening.
GAA: Allianz Hurling League Preview
LIMERICK v TIPPERARY
LIT Gaelic Grounds
Saturday 8th May
Throw-in @ 5.30pm
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
By Shane Brophy
Kiladangan’s Barry Hogan will make his debut for the Tipperary senior hurling in goals against Limerick in the opening round of the National League this evening.
Hogan is one of a number of fringe players who are being given an opportunity by manager Liam Sheedy as he looks to develop a competition for places at ahead of the championship.
There are also opportunities for Brian McGrath and Bryan O’Mara in the wing back positions in what is overall an experienced Tipperary line-up, despite the likes of Padraic & Brendan Maher, Seamus Callanan, and John & Noel McGrath either on the bench or not on the matchday panel for this game.
There is no change in on-field leadership with Seamus Callanan remaining as captain for the third year in a row, but he will miss the early rounds of the National League as he manages an ongoing back issue.
Noel McGrath remains as vice-captain and it is a big season for the Loughmore/Castleiney clubman, as well as his brother John, considering they were shadows of themselves in last year’s inter-county championship, impacted greatly by the exertions of Loughmore/Castleiney’s club championship campaign. If both are back near their best, it would be a massive injection of quality into a Tipp side that were not far off the mark last year, without ever coming near their best form.
Rediscovering that form and having greater depth for the squad come championship will be the key focus of Liam Sheedy and his management in the National League. While winning is an important habit to get into, giving as many players game time in the five league games is also vital and finding that right blend of creating a competition for places as well as being competitive will he hugely important.
While the 36-man panel came back to collective training on April 19th in great shape after completing their strength & conditioning sessions individually during lockdown 3, nothing prepares you for training on grass and the bumps and bruises from the first training matches in over five months. So having less than ten collective sessions prior to next Saturday, it will be about who is the freshest that will be selected to face the All-Ireland champions. Any player with a niggle is unlikely to be risked as any major injury at this stage will greatly hamper a player in such a short inter-county window, such as the fate that has befallen Kilsheelan/Kilcash’s Paul Maher who sustained a hamstring tear in training and those injuries are notoriously slow to heal.
So far, just Callanan, Maher, and Billy McCarthy are unavailable for selection, with the latter continuing to recover from a second serious knee injury and while is recovery is on track, July is the earliest when he expected to be back challenging to play. Liam Sheedy also confirmed that Ger Browne is not on the panel at the moment. The 2019 All-Ireland winner has been involved in a lengthy transfer dispute with his club Knockavilla Kickhams although the Tipperary manager denied this issue had anything to do with his release from the panel at this time.
However, John O’Dwyer is back and a fit and firing Bubbles would be a huge boost to a Tipperary side that never got into a flow at any stage last year, right from the start when they gave up a ten-point half time lead to Limerick in the league opener.
While a win next Saturday evening isn’t imperative, there needs to be signs that Tipperary are on an upward curve from which they can build on through the remainder of the league, and then hitting a peak for the Munster semi-final against Clare or Waterford in July.
It’s a crucial six-week period for many players from the under 20 and 21 All-Ireland winning teams of 2018 and 2019 to make an impact. Many have now completed a second year of strength & conditioning and the benefits of it now need to show and if they do it will create a competition for places all over the field which will only benefit the team down the road.
The fifteen players that are selected or the seven subs that are introduced (new regulation for this year’s league) it is a great opportunity to measure themselves against the best team in the country.
There is a handy excuse for players on both sides if things don’t work that it is just the first game of the league after almost five months off, however, the greater urgency is on Tipperary to take the game to the All-Ireland champions. Limerick will see this as an opportunity to maintain their psychological hold on the Premier County going into the championship. It was said as much by the now retired Shane Dowling and Paul Browne in a newspaper interview last Sunday, so the challenge has been laid down, what will Tipperary bring to meet it?
Tipperary team v Limerick
1 Barry Hogan Kiladangan
2 Cathal Barrett Holycross-Ballycahill
3 Ronan Maher Thurles Sarsfields
4 Barry Heffernan Nenagh Éire Óg
5 Brian McGrath Loughmore-Castleiney
6 Seamus Kennedy St Marys
7 Bryan O'Meara Holycross-Ballycahill
8 Alan Flynn Kiladangan
9 Michael Breen Ballina
10 Dan McCormack Borris-Ileigh
11 Patrick Maher Lorrha
12 Niall O'Meara Kilruane MacDonaghs
13 Willie Connors Kiladangan
14 Jason Forde Silvermines
15 Jake Morris Nenagh Éire Óg
SUBS
16 Brian Hogan Lorrha
17 Robert Byrne Portroe
18 Paddy Cadell JK Brackens
19 Cian Darcy Kilruane MacDonaghs
20 Paul Flynn Kiladangan
21 Mark Kehoe Kilsheelan-Kilcash
22 Padraic Maher Thurles Sarsfields
23 John McGrath Loughmore-Castleiney
24 Noel McGrath Loughmore-Castleiney
25 James Quigley Kiladangan
26 Dillon Quirke Clonoulty-Rossmore