Is Woodlock appointment part of a longer term plan?

By Shane Brophy

It came as no surprise that less than 48-hours after the period expired for expressions of interest to be submitted to become Tipperary under 20 hurling manager that James Woodlock was announced as the successful candidate.

There was an element of surprise that it required such a open and transparent process but following the decision by Brendan Cummins, at the end of his current two year term, not to become involved in a competition to retain the position, suggested by the county board, they had to be true to their word and open it up to all candidates, even if there was a clear favourite all along.

There was certain value to the process in terms of seeing who might be interested in getting involved, not just at under 20 level, but also at younger age groups either in management or coaching roles.

In terms of under 20 manager, the appointment of James Woodlock was a no-brainer, bringing a wealth of experience, having successfully managed Tipperary teams at underage level for the last seven seasons, six at minor level, during that time, achieving significant success, winning two All-Ireland and three Munster titles.

This was also achieved while consistently developing players capable of progressing through the Tipperary pathway and representing the county at the highest level, indicated by the calibre of his minor captains who have gone onto greater things so far including Sam O’Farrell, Oisin O’Donoghue and Cathal O’Reilly.

In a statement, the county board said the appointment reflects: “Tipperary GAA's continued commitment to player development and high-performance excellence across the county.

“James and his management team will work closely with the senior management team to ensure strong alignment across Tipperary GAA's development pathway, supporting players as they progress through the grades while creating a shared vision for long-term success.

“This collaborative approach will further strengthen the connections between teams, coaching structures and player development programmes throughout the county, ensuring that Tipperary GAA continues to provide the best possible environment for players to reach their full potential.”

At a Tipperary County Board meeting last month, a new Senior & Under 20 High Performance Alignment Policy was announced, details of which haven’t been published, particularly in how it will differentiate from previous senior and under 20 management collaborations.

While that policy is regarding players only, could Woodlock’s promotion from minor to under 20 manager also a hint towards succession planning at senior level with his three-year term running in line with Liam Cahills three-year extension?

If the Ballingarry native sees out the full three years, it will take it to sixteen consecutive years in inter-county management, minor (2014-17), U20-21 (18-19, Waterford (2020-22) and four years so far with the Tipperary senior hurlers. A fair commitment.

In the short term, Woodlock’s promotion means an opening for minor hurling manager with the early front-runners being two All-Ireland senior winning captains Brendan Maher and Seamus Callanan. Both have secured valuable experience in the backroom team of the Offaly senior hurlers in the last three years.

Any management team would also benefit from the knowledge of the under 15 & 16 players from the last couple of years at academy level where current Roscrea senior hurling manager Paudie Bourke, and Roscrea native and All-Ireland Intermediate winning manager with Upperchurch/Drombane, Liam Dunphy have been involved.