Covid will make us think about how we train going forward - Liam Sheedy

Ahead of the opening round of the Allianz National Hurling League on Saturday evening next in LIT Páirc na nGael, Limerick, Tipperary Manager Liam Sheedy has told of one of the positives to come out of the Covid 19 pandemic, and of the lessons which can be learned going forward.

The Portroe man admitted he is “buzzing” with excitement this week as his charges prepare to rumble with League, Munster and All-Ireland champions Limerick on their own patch. But, he also acknowledges that there could be no better challenge for Tipperary as they bid to assess where they are at, following a period of lockdown and restriction which saw no collective training until two weeks ago.

This restriction in preparation meant that Liam and his management team had to place a significant chunk of trust on the shoulders of their panelists - trust that they were doing the work set out for them and not cutting corners as they journeyed towards the return to play date.

“The lads were brilliant over the fourteen weeks because it is not easy to work on your own. They all had their own programmes to follow and I have to say that I would be a fan of giving space to the individual to their work rather than bringing them from all over the county to train - driving can be really tiring and we have seen now the players coming back to us fresh and mad for hurling,” he says.

Tipperary embraced technology and through the strength and conditioning work set out by coach Cairbre Ó Caireallain, who was able to monitor progress on each individual, they came back fit, strong and ready for the field. But, the deficit of course, was in a lack of hurling, blocking, tackling, twisting, turning, managing collisions etc. The mind might have been steeled for the rigors of the game, but the body still had to be hot dipped to cope with the intensity of the game. That process continues and will take some weeks yet, but Saturday's tilt with Limerick has been earmarked to assess how potent the zinc is right now.

“The lads took on a lot of personal responsibility and that is important because when they cross the white lines, they have to assume that as well and make the decisions themselves.

“We have not had the time for too much collective training and we have to be careful with what we do because there is always the possibility of injury if we do too much.

“But, we have a great opportunity now in the league to look at some new faces and see what sort of make-up we might have when it comes to the championship time in June which is the ultimate goal at the end of the day. These are the kind of games that you want to be playing in because very quickly you will find out where you are and what you need to do. We could not have gotten a better game to kick start our season,” Liam said.

While the players were away from camp they were forced to do a lot of things for themselves and that has perhaps ensured greater buy-in on their part. The management team places a lot of emphasis on personal responsibility in terms of preparation for games; deportment on and off the field; and the sense of carrying the torch for Tipperary - a county full of tradition with a rich sporting heritage, of which these panelists, as the current incumbents, are very much apart of.

With club games off the agenda for now, there will be many eyes watching the league games and the matches will make for plenty of conversation, giving people a chance to talk about something. There will be comprehensive TV coverage and with Tipp due to play five games - against Limerick, Cork, Galway, Westmeath and Waterford - there will be ample opportunity to look at the team, run the rule over their credentials and assess their chances for the 2021 season.

However, such efforts come with a health warning - Tipperary folk more or less acknowledge that there are gaps to be plugged, slots to be filled and combinations to be worked out. So, winning the league would undoubtedly be sacrificed in a bid to happen upon the best championship combination when the winners of Clare and Waterford will provide the opposition. In other words, the priority for the league from a Tipperary perspective will be to get as many players as much game time as possible rather than having focused designs on lifting the silverware - especially since authorities has signalled that there might not even be a final to the competition.

So, Saturday is a big step & an important one for Tipp.