A game that excites more than any other - Maher

By Paul Keane

Tipperary v Kilkenny, still a date that Ronan Maher circles on his calendar.

"It is, and that's not just me, it is for any Tipp fan or any Tipp player," said the Tipperary captain speaking at a media event on Monday ahead of the latest renewal of the rivalry in the Allianz National Hurling League this Sunday.

It's been a while since the old rivalry was really stoked, certainly in Championship terms, but there's enough riding on Sunday's round 6 encounter to make it really interesting. Hosts Kilkenny, who still have to play Limerick, need a win to ease their relegation concerns whilst Tipp are joint top, until Saturday evening at least, and looking to turn the screw further.

Three wins from four, despite looking at 31 different players already, suggests Maher and Tipp are ticking along nicely.

"Our squad is really competitive at the moment which is really healthy for us in Tipp," said Maher.

"So, that's a great positive for us coming into this year that we've got a few new lads. In fairness to Liam Cahill and the management team, they've dug really deep, and they've found good lads that are really positive in and around the setup."

Darragh McCarthy, perhaps delivering ahead of schedule at the very top level, is one of those greenhorns. His 2-32 tally from four games in his maiden season has been swelled by free-taking duties but the fact that he's trusted with the task is just another sign of his maturity.

"He's carefree, takes everything in his stride," said Maher.

"It's not like it's his first year on the panel, he's one that's really driven, and I think you can see that with the performances he's putting in."

McCarthy is one of seven players who have started all four of Tipp's Division 1A games so far, along with Eoghan Connolly, Craig Morgan, Michael Breen, Willie Connors, Alan Tynan, and Jake Morris.

Whilst opponents Kilkenny are still attempting to nail down a centre-back and midfield combination, a settled spine and supporting cast is emerging in Tipp. All of which has drawn a positive response from supporters.

"Yeah, there was a good buzz there against Cork in the league," agreed Maher, who referenced a noticeable fall off in backing during last year's Championship.

"Last year, I suppose, it was probably disheartening not to see the crowd supporting us. But listen, the Tipp supporters can be tough on you at times when things aren't going your way and that's just the way it's always been. But it was great to see the turnout against Cork."

The 29-year-old defender, an All-Ireland winner in 2016 & 2019, acknowledged that a difficult few years - Tipp have won just four of their twenty championship games across the last five seasons - has provided him with increased motivation this year.

Getting back to Croke Park in the Championship for the first time since the 2019 final defeat of Kilkenny is one of his big targets.

"We really want to rectify a couple of wrongs that have went by in the last few years and that's really driving me as a player," said the Portlaoise based Garda.

"I really love playing the game and really love representing Tipperary. It'd be really nice to get some silverware with this group. A lot of lads are a similar age to me and, you know, there is a lot of hurt there but you can only use that as fuel in the right ways going forward. Sport is like that; you get setbacks and it's how you respond.

"So that's one thing that's driving me as well, just to represent everybody at home and get Tipperary hurling back to where everybody knows it should be and where it belongs. We're trying to do that."