Cahill set to play the long game

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary senior hurling manager Liam Cahill has suggested we might not see the strongest team until well into the National League campaign as he looks to learn the lessons from the fade out from his first year in charge in 2023.

He was speaking following his sides first competitive win of the campaign, the 1-28 to 1-14 win over Kerry which completed their Munster League campaign, with Waterford progressing to the final from the group.

To that end, with weekends to fill ahead of the start of the National League against Dublin on February 3rd, Tipperary have lined up two strong challenge games in advance, firstly against Clare, back in Nenagh next Sunday at 1.00pm, followed by a game with All-Ireland champions Limerick at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday, 28th January at 2.00pm, to raise funds for the Dillon Quirke Foundation.

Those games will be important as they will be the final opportunity for players that have been part of the extended panel to make the final cut with Liam Cahill and his management having scoured the county to strengthen the squad, with 32 players having been used in the two Munster League games, with many of the experienced players yet to return.

“We have done a lot of work since we started back in early October/late November,” Cahill said in terms of their 2024 preparations.

“Obviously, the club championship was really important to us, and I committed to that after our defeat to Galway, that we would leave no stone unturned to make sure that everybody that wants to hurl for Tipperary, and is good enough, will get a chance.

“What we have been doing in the background is that we have a core panel that train three nights a week, but we also have a good young development panel running in parallel to that. We are trying to integrate as many players as well can into our training sessions with our core group to make sure they get a good understanding of what is required from a training and preparation perspective.

“Some of them were on our panel today and got game time. There are a few dark horses there that are putting their hand up, and we’ll put a real structure on that by the first round of the league and make sure the players that are in form will be brought with us, also keeping guys in the age bracket of 21+ engaged as well that the door isn’t closed and that next year, if they go away and do the work they will come into our plans as well.”

He added: “There will be a possibility for a couple of our older brigade, the Dublin game might be too soon for them. We have to take into account their commitment to their clubs that ran late. They are seasoned players, and they need to be peaked at the right time so it could be well into the league before we see the likes of Noel McGrath, Seamus Kennedy, and Bonner Maher before they are back fully. They are there in the background working really hard to be right for the right time.”

Continued on page 78.