WHEN LATTIN-CULLEN player Mark Russell was nudged into action in the 60th minute on Saturday night in Semple Stadium, it brought to 29 the number of players that Tipperary boss Michael Ryan has exposed to game time in the 2018 league to date.
It’s only three games in but the volume of players used reflects the changing environment the Tipperary hurling manager is operating in.
A compressed league schedule which overlaps with the demands of the Fitzgibbon Cup – four members of Ryan’s squad will feature in next Saturday’s final for UL thus rendering them unavailable for next Sunday’s trip to Nowlan Park – along with the shift in the Munster championship format in 2018 means the importance of a panel is more pronounced than ever.
Outside of the 26 players that formed the squad for last August’s exit against Galway, Ryan has handed out auditions to a bunch of new Tipperary hurlers.
Paul Maher, Alan Flynn, Conor Kenny, Ger Browne and Paudie Feehan have all started games with Paul Shanahan, Cian Darcy and Russell all sprung from the bench.
Cathal Barrett has returned to the squad while Joe O’Dwyer, who was injured for that Galway All-Ireland semi-final, is also back in harness.
The winter saw Darren Gleeson and John O’Keeffe retire with Steven O’Brien rejoining the Tipperary football ranks. The treatment table is currently the home of Seamus Callanan, John O’Dwyer, Dan McCormack and Joe O’Dwyer.
Michael Cahill had been pencilled in for his seasonal bow on Saturday night but cried off before throw-in and is another set for a short spell on the sidelines. Niall O’Meara only returned to the bench last Saturday night after battling a chest injury.
It all adds up to a state of flux for the Tipperary squad yet the response to the opening day loss to Clare has been a pair of victories under Saturday night floodlights against Waterford and Wexford.
The displays of Tipperary’s wing-backs were notable on Saturday. Barry Heffernan was a 20-year-old in May 2016 when he had to step back from playing hurling as a Munster championship campaign loomed.
A succession of concussion incidents were a setback for the Nenagh Éire Óg player at a time when a breakthrough looked imminent. He was part of the panel for that September’s Liam MacCarthy Cup success but will now be targeting a more regular role after a spring where has also impressed for Fitzgibbon Cup finalists UL.
Paudie Feehan has bolted from the pack after not sampling life with the Tipperary hurlers in the underage ranks. The Killenaule youngster was full-back for the Tipperary minor footballers in 2016, wing-back for the U21 side last year and is a younger brother of county senior footballer Jimmy, who won a Sigerson Cup medal last Saturday with UCD.
“We got a good shift from Barry,” remarked Michael Ryan after Saturday night’s win over Wexford.
“It is exactly in those last twenty minutes that you might just over reach and that wouldn’t do him any good.
“He didn’t have a great start on Lee Chin, he is a formidable hurler and a class act. I thought Barry had a great battle with him in the first half and I thought Barry edged it coming up towards the end of the half. You can’t buy that experience.
“Paudie Feehan is another young fella on the other wing, he had a really busy first half. He is a competitor first and foremost, once you have got that in your armoury, you are not too young.
“He is a real breath of fresh air, he comes and just wants to hurl, as they all do. Paudie was a bit of a surprise that he has made so much progress so quickly, normally it is a one or a two year apprenticeship but Paudie seems to have gotten out of the traps early but look, it is still early days.
“There is a lot of fighting to go on inside in our camp to get the right to take a jersey and there are lots of games to be played.
“They will all get opportunities, that is the intent, certainly over the next two game days and we’ll see what comes after that.”
Tipperary’s six-point victory on Saturday night came after a game where they needed netminder Daragh Mooney to bail them out with a couple of stunning second-half saves.
The goalkeeping position is an intriguing selection area for them this year after Gleeson’s retirement with Mooney and Paul Maher both starting in games in recent weeks while Brian Hogan has been on the bench.
“They are great saves, but that’s their job,” stated Ryan.
“It won’t be lost on Daragh that he had to wait until game three to get a game and that’s how we’ll continue.
“He certainly made a claim for the jersey, I hope he’s not making his run too early and he gets his timing right. But that’s the nature of that squad down there in that dressing room – they are there to compete.”
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Irish team really doing well this year, fairplay to all involved!
Really? Only one medal and a number of possible finalists not getting out of their heats.
Remember this is just the Europeans and we really should be making finals and getting medals.
Sonia said the same thing today.
Well done lads, great race.
Those boys look too excited at breaking that national record.
Aw gravy… Shtop
The usual will happen. Break national record getting to the final and finish last in the actual race that matters
Last in that race would make them eight best in Europe : no mean feat, especially as Europe now seems to include Ethiopia
Congrats to the 4 x 400 relay team for qualifying for the final tomorrow.
Great team effort from the off.Gusty as ever even down the finishing straight.well done,screaming at the telly like a mad yoke.proud.to be irish when looking at that finish
Congrats to Fionnula Britton for finishing 10th. Of course this would not be good enough for Mr. Heffernan !!!
Great running by the lads, they were only a tiny bit behind the winners of that heat.
Congratulations to our athletes and to Journal for praising and acknowledging their success. It is great to see such positivity. It makes a change from other papers, TV and media who often describe success as failure. Eg: so-and-so reaches the final and “fails” to get the gold medal instead of acknowledging the huge effort, dedication and success in achieving participating in the final.
A very good trait the British have regarding their athletes in track and field is that they praise and encourage the efforts of their athletes, their commentators are very often retired athletes of the highest calibre who genuinely appreciate what it takes to reach the standards necessary just to compete in a final.
A brilliant run from the guys! 3:03.57 is the new national record. Thought that might be important to mention in this article?? Also the guys are not named in the correct order in the photo.
Hi Ronan,
We mentioned it was a national record in the headline. Also, the athletes aren’t named in any specific order in the above photo.
Hi Paul, in the initial article there was no mention of the record, it has been clearly updated to include it since I made the comment. :-) Also, it would not have been very difficult to do a little homework and name the athletes in order. Otherwise, it is fantastic that you and the Score are reporting on Irish sporting milestones like this. Keep up the good work.
Sorry when I say record I mean the time. Records in Track and Field are all about the times, or distances or heights depending on the event. So it is important to include.
Unfortunately, we can’t always get in all the details such as specific times immediately, hence the ‘more to follow’ which was initially at the bottom of the article. Thanks for your feedback.
Order in photo is Morissey, Barr, Murphy, Gregan, if you wanted to correct the caption like!
The caption is correct. All four athletes named are in the photo. It would only be incorrect if it explicitly stated ‘left to right’.
Ok, if you wanted to update the caption then, making it more informative.
I can see where they keep their batons, seriously though, fair play lads
And Ciara, about GAA games – yes they’re unique.
Because nobody wants to play them!
Only played here – and by a few emigrants.
Soccer is played in every country on earth. All 220 – even here….
Yes, Glen: Ireland very bad, rest of world very good. Why don’t you pi$$ off out of Ireland, if your opinion of the country is so low. Life is short and the world’s out there for all to explore! Don’t let the door hit your ass. . . Slán!
For such a small ethnic European nation
GAA Hurling – one of the fastest field sports in the world, unique to us – world class athletes.
GAA Football – world class athletes (devotion & dedication more than any pro soccer player – as amateurs)
Sean Kelly – one of the best cyclists in the world
Stephen Roche – one of the best cyclists in the world
Sonia Sullivan – World champion
Katherina McKiernan – world champion
John Tracy – world class runner, Olympic silver
Eamonn Coughlan – world class runner
Padraig Harrington – world class golfer
Horse racing – The Irish own it
Snooker – Ken Doherty world class champion
Soccer – Irish team have beaten Brazil in the past heydays and capable of winning a world cup with right belief, training and manager, the talent is already here among the Irish, always has been.
Rugby – Munster beat the All-Blacks, Irish capable of beating any team, again just need right self belief and confidence.
MMA – Conor McGregor – finally displaying the confidence and sense of right to feel we are not only good enough but have the raw genetic talent to beat any other race, ethnicity or nation.
Boxing – a world power, there is no-one we cannot beat in it.
There is nothing we cannot achieve. Our ancestors thought so, we had it hammered out of us during 800 years of colonialism, left with no self esteem, thinking we are worth nothing. Time for pride and confidence in being Irish, not false arrogance.
We are not here to take part, we are here to take over.
Munster beat the All Blacks!! True but…..
We have a reasonable sporting history, nothing more. Look at smaller countries – like Belgium and Holland.
Sadly, we’re not in their league.
Ciara, Google is your friend – don’t be so parochial and insular.
World class ‘athletes” in GAA? Surely a joke right?
@Glen
You are forgetting one massive difference – they have higher per capita populations with bigger economies, remember they also had colonies, of which they draw competitors, we however select from a select ethnic Irish base, they do not have a rugby background and most of their talent goes into soccer or athletics, unlike Ireland where we field in every major sport and then have the GAA.
@Fiachra
No, just because athletics people train specifically for athletics, would they be able to compete at senior level GAA, whilst living a normal life, the fitness levels earned by the GAA is world class standard as well as skill, and we are talking about unpaid amateurs here. That is more admirable than anything, the commitment they show.
Belgium and Holland? Their populations are multiples of ours. Are you serious?
Hey Ciara, Catherine McKiernan was never World Champion :-), (4 silvers at the world cross country in a row) but a phenomenal athlete. However, Eamon Coughlan (1983 – 5000m) and John Trecey (back to back world cross country titles) were.
Well done lads…..i must say that i dont like the full green running outfit. Should be another colour added to the outfit. From a distance id say they look like giant green beans running around a track, Just sayin
Anyway…….when is the final ?
14.40 Tomorrow.
Jaysus ffs hardly earth shattering performances !
Maybe with a moniker like “flying picket” you could enter one of these races. It’s obvious you are some sort of an armchair commentator who has no appreciation of the standard of achievement and dedication necessary to reach a final at the highest level. Better still try and beat the Irish record in any event yourself, we could praise your “personal best”.
The Irish are capable of achieving anything, we do not need foreign blood to win at anything.
Our ancestors built the Newgrange Boyne valley geo-astrological monuments long before the pyramids, for Christs sake. Start having pride in being Irish and believing in how brilliant it is to be Irish, we are a talented, intelligent, physically superb, unique rare people. Be proud of your Irish ancestry, there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world, once it is gone, it is gone forever.
Jawohl mein kommandant!
@Charles
the response of the low self esteem, pure example of what I am talking about –
Irish afraid to have confidence in themselves, fear having the right to believe they are as good as if not better than most – no, it get’s put down as something wrong.
Go on away with your spineless cowardly begrudgery, something which has held Ireland back for 100s of years.
Sorry but it’s like who has the the more Liathróidí right to left ,
Hope I spelt that right bloody Guinness