Callanan doesn't care who scores the goals - but he'd like a few all the same

Tipperary captain Seamus Callanan bagged a goal a game in last years Munster and All-Ireland senior hurling championship campaign. But, the Drom Inch man told tipperarylive.ie this week that he doesn't care who gets the goals as long as Tipperary get them -a few would be nice all the same though, he admits.

Speaking ahead of The Premier County's provincial opener against Limerick in Páirc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday, the Business Development Officer for Clancyis delighted that the championship is almost upon Tipperary after so much disruption, doubt and disappointment. And, he jokingly says that the fact that the conditions will be a bit different to summer hurling, might just suit him and some of the other Tipp lads who are on the wrong side of thirty - Seamie is 32 years young now!!

“We are experienced enough as a team to know that what was good enough to win an All-Ireland last year will not be good enough to win one this year. Things move on and while we couldn't have predicted what would happen this year you have to be ready for whatever happens on the day. There is nothing that will happen in a Munster senior championship game that we haven't prepared for, but the difference will be in whoever manages to adapt the better to those circumstances on the day.”
“Sure there will be a different dynamic with winter championship hurling, but Liam will still expect huge workrate from all of his team and we will expect that of ourselves as well. We set ourselves high standards and we want to reach those standards each time we go out to play - summer or winter won't make a difference on that score,” he says.
Seamus enjoyed a fine season with his club Drom-Inch and they made it all the way to the concluding stages of the FBD Insurance county senior hurling championship only to be beaten by the eventual winners Kildanagan in the semi-final. He was able to get an invaluable number of games under his belt before returning to the Tipperary camp where the emphasis has been on ensuring that all the players and management team remains safe as they ready themselves for action.

Brendan Maher, Seamus Callanan and Noel McGrath would love to add to their already impressive haul of All-Ireland medals this season.

“It was unusual to be coming in for training because normally we'd only be a few weeks away from going into pre-season. But, we now have a real hunger for hurling and I suppose the games will give people a focus and something to talk about for the next couple of weeks.

“The safety of our players and all the people around us by far outweighs any hurling game, but the games are still something to look forward to. We have all been watching a lot of different sports over the last few weeks and it is great to have them as well because they are a distraction for people.

“We are very happy with the way the Tipp camp is being run. All the necessary precautions are being taken all the time and the players are very happy to play so long as nothing happens and we all stay safe and healthy,” he says.
Tipperary could be All-Ireland champions in six weeks time, or out of the championship in two outings. That's how compact the campaign will be this season and Seamus is happy with this approach saying that the format really whets the appetite.
But, contemplating a backdoor journey is not on the agenda at all at this stage and like each year with Tipp, it will be all about taking it one game at a time.

“Going through the backdoor does not enter our heads at this stage but it is something that we would have to deal with if we do not get to the required level on Sunday. We go out to win all our games at all times. Sometimes that doesn't work out and you will take whatever chance you get, but it's not something we are thinking about right now. We are just looking ahead to the next game but it will be tough going week after week.”

Of course there will be no cheering Tipperary supporters to raise the decibel levels if Callanan hits the back of the Limerick net on Sunday and that in itself will only add to the strange scenario which identifies championship season 2020. But, while he readily admits that he would love to have the Tipperary supporters in attendance, he understands fully the reasons for the behind-closed-doors matches and he says: “We will not be lacking in motivation this season even if there will not be any supporters there to cheer us on. We'll try to treat the games as we would any normal year and it will be the same for both teams.”

Another change will see the games played with a yellow sliothar and under lights. The clock has reverted to winter time but the games are being played later on to help create atmosphere. And, at this stage most counties have played plenty of league games under lights, so championship is a natural progression of sorts.

“Ideally, you would want to play during the day but if you have to play under lights then so be it - we are up for it. We train a lot under lights anyway, so it's no big deal. We will have the bodies and the minds ready for whatever the match brings and we'll just take it from there,” he says.