IN ALL FAIRNESS - Bonnar is going back to basics

The announcement of Tipperary’s 34-man panel for the National Hurling League caught myself and many others by surprise last week. First of all, in an era where many inter-county managers treat squad information like the ‘Third Secret of Fatima’, that Colm Bonnar, and indeed David Power as football manager, are so open about that is going on with this panels is refreshing, not just for us in the media, but also for supporters as the information provided is for them more than anything else.

There is nothing worse than a vacuum of information when it comes to any issue, and that was the case briefly last week when the Tipperary panel was announced, and it didn’t contain the name of John O’Dwyer. Within three days, Colm Bonnar was on my Across the Line radio show on Tipp FM explaining the reasoning behind O’Dwyer’s current situation for him not being part of the panel at the moment.

We have to take it on face value that ‘Bubbles’ is injured, but one wonders is this a test also of the Killenaule man. Previously, under Michael Ryan and Liam Sheedy, O’Dwyer would have been kept within the group as part of his recovery for monitoring purposes. However, one feels that by having O’Dwyer doing his recovery away from Dr Morris Park at the moment, Colm Bonnar is testing him to see can he do most of the recovery on his own, and if he does and comes back in good nick, not only will he have a player to contribute on the field, as we know he can, he will also be getting a player who still has a burning flame to compete at inter-county level. O’Dwyer only has to look at Brendan Maher for inspiration to see how the lonely road in recovery from injury can in some ways be an awakening to find that little bit extra in their play.

Apart from O’Dwyer’s omission, there were not too many eye-catching selections on the panel, just seven new faces from last year, only four of which are completely new in Moyne-Templetuohy duo Gearoid O’Connor and Conor Bowe (although with a year’s senior football experience under his belt), Conor Stakelum and Dylan Walsh.

It is a very workmanlike panel and on the face of it looks like the basic requirement for any Tipperary team being put out by Colm Bonnar. Limerick have set the template that workrate is number one and it was interesting to hear a comment from last Sunday’s Munster League final between Limerick and Clare, where the Limerick subs got more enthused by turnovers than scores. Such is the modern game, turnovers and scores go hand in hand, particularly if you turn over teams in their own defence, and that in the recent challenge game against Wexford in Carrick-on-Suir, 1-17 of Tipperary’s total of 2-22 came from twenty-four turnovers by the forwards alone.

Tipperary is renowned for skilful hurlers, but a hard-working player is appreciated more and is why the likes of Patrick Maher and Dan McCormack have become fan-favourites over the years, as for supporters, a getting down and dirty is as important as getting the classy score. In that regard, it will be interesting in the early rounds of the National League whether there is a subtle change in how Tipperary go about things.

The recall of Denis Maher after eight years away is a surprise. On his club championship form with Thurles Sarsfields, he is certainly deserving but one wonders as the ground hardens up and the championship pitches get firmer from April onwards, will he have the footwork to trouble teams at full forward, but as a ball-winner late in games, he would be a useful option.

While it is a great honour for the 34 players selected for the panel, thirteen players were left disappointed, but crucially the majority will remain on a development panel, doing the same strength & conditioning work away from the group, and possibly being called in for training matches if there are injury issues. The value of the development panel can be shown by Gearoid O’Connor and Ciaran Connolly who were in such a group last year. Both players went onto have outstanding club campaigns for their clubs as they had the benefit of inter-county training behind them, and while they didn’t get to wear the blue and gold last year, their clubs ultimately benefitted. In the case of Ciaran Connolly, but for plans to do travelling this summer, he would have been on this Tipperary panel also.

For those thirteen players and those who don’t make a matchday 26-man squad, there is merit in a suggestion by Munster CEO Kieran Leddy of a reserve-team competition in the championship, played as curtain-raisers to the senior matches, replacing under 17 games. People might say, you are taking more players away from their clubs, particularly when club leagues start after St Patrick’s Day, however, it could be done in a Miller Shield way where the players come together on match-day and play to keep them under the watchful eye of the management, and crucially help bridge that gap after under 20 level which is significant indeed. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of the idea.