Tipp bosses to give clubs their space

 

 

By Shane Brophy

 

Tipperary senior hurling and football managers Liam Sheedy and David Power have declared themselves happy with the schedules their respective teams have been given for the rearranged championships which will get underway in October.

The GAA’s revised plan released last week will see the footballers first to get back into action with their remaining division 3 league games against Offaly and Leitrim on October 18^th & 25^th, followed by their Munster championship quarter final against Clare on October 31^st or November 1^st. On the same weekend, the Tipperary hurlers will face either Limerick or Clare in a Munster semi-final.

“It is great to have a schedule and a fixture,” admitted Tipperary hurling manager Liam Sheedy.”

“15-16 weeks ago it didn’t look like we would get to play a championship at all. There is a great sense of appreciation to be where are and it is fantastic to get a championship played in some form.

The Portroe clubman admitted there are both pros and cons to their initial schedule where they gave avoided the extra game of a first round but will play an opponent who will have a competitive game under their belt.

“By getting to a semi-final we are one step away from a Munster final and All Ireland quarter final but on the flip side either Clare or Limerick will come in match sharp.”

There is something in that considering in the first two years of the round-robin format, only one team that has had the bye in the first round managed to win in their first game against an opponent that already had a game under their belt.

However, a first game on October 31^st or November 1^st will give Tipperary a six-week lead in after the county finals are played on September 20^th with Liam Sheedy confirming they won’t be resuming collective training until after that date.

He will be a keen observer of the club championships where he feels there is a good schedule and structure of games for his players.

Tipperary football manager David Power has also confirmed he will not be interfering with the club championships in trying to prepare his panel but did suggest that training should be allowed restart earlier than September 14^th for players whose club championship campaigns are at an end.

“I was club chairman for six years and I know how important club is as well and I’d be going against my principles in putting pressure on players to be going to county training when they are playing with their clubs,” Power said.

“It is important to respect the club championships and that’s what we will be doing. We will be following the guidelines, but you won’t be seeing a collective Tipperary senior football session until September.

“I’d be still hopeful the GAA will relax the training date in terms of players that would be available before September 14^th because their club championship has ended and that could be as early as August 16^th for some players and after August 30^th there’ll be a whack of players available.”

Should Tipperary senior hurlers fail to win a Munster semi-final, they will have a second chance through the qualifiers, similar to what was in place prior to 2018, however the footballers won’t have get a second chance but David Power feels there was many options open to the GAA to do that.

“I know some people will argue that hurling has a backdoor and football doesn’t but to be fair they are two different situations; there are ten hurling teams so there is greater flexibility for the backdoor whereas you have 32 teams in football so there isn’t as much flexibility.

“You are going to see some fairly big names out after the first round, be it Donegal or Tyrone where in a normal year both would be in the Super 8’s.”

And with Cork and Kerry drawn together in a knockout Munster semi-final, it affords Tipperary, along with Clare, Limerick and Waterford an opportunity to progress to a provincial final where it provides a greater opportunity for an upset while for Tipperary, playing a Munster final on Sunday 22^nd November would see it coincide with the centenary of the Bloody Sunday Commemoration.

“You are going to see surprises during this championship,” Power added.

“In Munster there is a huge opportunity there for one of the four so-called weaker teams to get to a provincial final and looking at it from a sentimental point of view, it would be great for Tipperary to get to a Munster final, especially when it’s going to be played on the weekend of the Bloody Sunday date so that would be extra special.

“Going back to the league, we know we have to win the two games to make sure we are safe but it’s a pleasing thing that it is in our hands. Clare in the same position in division 2 so it won’t be a case of Clare being able to rest players so both teams will be going into the championship with two good games under their belt.”