The league semi-finals come to Thurles on Sunday next, allowing us locals to spectate and speculate on the season so far.
It’s been a curate’s egg type of season to date for Tipperary – good in spots but overall disappointing. The defeat in Ennis was the biggest let-down but in truth it was in keeping with the overall character of the campaign, which was patchy.
Ultimately it leaves Tipperary unsettled and unsure as we await the arrival of Cork to the Stadium on May 22.
There were positives in the first league campaign under the Michael Ryan baton. Ronan Maher’s promotion to centre back is seen as a work in progress but one that is developing very sweetly indeed. He looks like a player with the potential to become a long-term resident at number 6.
The move has released big brother, Paudie, to wing duties and that too seems to have been beneficial. Another success story was Michael Breen at midfield. His vagabond days of no fixed abode seem to be over, though it was a little unsettling to see him relocated to half forward during the Clare defeat. Ultimately one assumes he goes back to the centre for the championship.
Then there was the impact of John McGrath in attack. Last year he threatened something similar but then suffered injury, was poor in the U21, and ultimately faded from view. This time there’s been a steady consistency, so hopes are high that a stellar career has been launched. Others like Barry Heffernan made a more modest impact.
However, against all these positives we have the nagging negatives. Our facility for losing tight games has become a major burden and one that won’t easily be shaken off. Against Kilkenny, against Waterford and once again against Clare in the recent league we couldn’t seal the deal in games that were very winnable. The more this pattern persists the more ingrained it becomes and that’s a negative that so far this year hasn’t changed.
Besides, there’s a fallacy about Tipperary hurling in the past decade, which needs correcting. The argument goes that but for that cursed Kilkenny crowd this generation of Tipperary players would have won a stack of All Irelands. But would they? Kilkenny didn’t beat Tipperary in 2015; it was Waterford in the league semi and then Galway in the All Ireland semi-final – both one-pointers. It’s hard to resist the conclusion that if it wasn’t Kilkenny it would have been someone else.
And here’s a scary thought for the bright generation of Tipperary hurlers who painted 2010 blue and gold. They now risk becoming a lost generation, a team of one-hit wonders who flashed meteorite-like across our firmament only to burn up in the bonfires of celebration. Paudie Maher and several of his colleagues were U21 that great year; they are now into the latter half of their twenties and remember few enough hurlers continue much into their thirties nowadays.
So what will the legacy of this generation be? Being part of so many classic games will be scant consolation in later years if 2010 is their sole Celtic Cross to decorate the mantelpiece. Tide and time waits for no man so every missed year is another lost opportunity.
So, on present evidence, what are the prospects for 2016? It’s difficult to see that much has changed from last year though we’ll continue to live in hope. In terms of the panel it seems that for the moment there will be no further cuts as we prepare for Cork. The rumour mill around the Tipperary panel has been in overdrive in recent weeks including the suggestion that Darragh Mooney was dropped and then recalled for the Ennis game when others were unfit. That rumour was about as accurate as those famous reports of Mark Twain’s demise – not to mention the unfairness of it all to the Annacarty man.
On the broader goalkeeping issue there is a feeling that Darren Gleeson’s form may have slipped a little but you won’t find much agreement on the line up of replacements. Darragh Mooney and Brian Hogan are the nearest contenders at present though many are surprised that Moyne’s Paul Maher, Fitzgibbon Cup All Star, hasn’t featured. It’s an open debate, though for now the Portroe man remains number one.
In defence there’s concern about Mickey Cahill and those ongoing injuries. Apparently he was ready to play for Sarsfields last weekend but there is a concern that the repeated knocks are taking a toll on his game. Conor O’Brien has in the past been a very capable replacement, though he didn’t have a good day in Ennis; and then there’s uncertainty about whether Tossy Hamill is ready for championship action with all its twists and turns.
It all leaves an element of doubt in an area where we’re seen as simply not ruthless enough. If Darragh Mooney shipped some blame for that second goal at Ennis then what about the defenders that allowed the attacker waltz through? There are times when you take a card for the team.
For the moment the partnership of Brendan Maher and Michael Breen at midfield is seen as the best option with Kieran Bergin challenging more for wing back. It’s in attack, however, that doubt persists.
In theory if we have everyone available then there’s a lot of potential in the forward line. Yet so many of them are seen as somewhat flighty and liable to be put out of it on a given day. In the last two knock-out games that Tipperary played the forward line flew on one wing. And remember getting over the line in tight games very often depends more on attack than defence. Overall then Michael Ryan’s report card at this mid-way stage is very inconclusive. The jury is out on this one; May 22 will supply further evidence.
Meanwhile the weather played spoil-sport with the local championship at the weekend. The Saturday schedule survived alright but Sunday was mostly a wash-out with seven of the nine games called off. The exceptions were the hardy boys from Ballina who saw off Silvermines and Clonoulty/Rossmore who did enough against Kilruane MacDonaghs.
I saw Eire Og Annacarty and Roscrea in action on Saturday at the Ragg in a game that wasn’t helped by dull, messy conditions. It was a game of few highlights, which the West side deservedly edged.
Six-all at the break summed up a pretty drab opening half. A penalty save, however, by Darragh Mooney on Jason Fitzpatrick was a major item – and proved critical by the call of time. Annacarty put on a lively spurt at the start of the second period to take them three-up and that pretty well decided it. Roscrea failed to raise a flag from play in the second period and Eire Og’s slightly greater resources in that department proved crucial. Tom Fox was easily the best on show; like Stephen Cahill of Sarsfields people remain baffled by his exclusion from the county panel over the spring.
It was a crucial win for Eire Og because if they lost here they could well find themselves dropping to Roinn 2 for next year; Roscrea are now favourites for that fate. In other games Clonoulty got their season off to a happy start against Kilruane MacDonaghs, the latter without the O’Meara brothers. That one might well decide who tops this group by the end of the series.
Probably the most eye-catching outcome at the weekend was Kildangan’s win over Nenagh. Amazingly they secured it with just thirteen players by the end, Darragh Egan one of the two red carded. I’m not aware of the Puckane club having a history of much success over their urban neighbours so this outcome will be a major boost to them. Templederry and Mullinahone are also in that group which looks very competitive; the South side might well struggle to stay in this section.
In other games Killenaule were much too strong for Brackens, which could well put the Templemore club in difficulty in this section. In Roinn 2 Loughmore defeated Borrisokane while Moyne drew with Burgess, which was a good result for the Mid club. There’s still a lot to play for in future rounds.
