English: Lar’s goals can bring glory to Premier

Nicky English says Tipperary won’t win this year’s All-Ireland hurling title without the goals of a revitalised Lar Corbett.

Thankfully for Premier County supporters, the man who gave Corbett his big break as manager back in the All-Ireland winning season of 2001 is optimistic about it happening.

English pointed out that Corbett, who has rifled crucial Allianz League goals against Kilkenny and Galway, is displaying unseasonably good form right now.

He believes it’s a reaction from the 2010 Hurler of the Year to the amount of criticism he has shipped since last August’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Corbett, of course, was widely panned for his man-marking role on Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh that afternoon. More recently, he was criticised for undertaking charity work in New York in the build up to Thurles Sarsfields’ All-Ireland club semi-final, which they lost.

“He’s still a great player,” said English. “If Tipperary are going to win the All-Ireland, they need goals, and Lar Corbett is the man that’ll do that.

“I think he’s scored more goals than any player ever for Tipperary. He can still do it. I think he likes the manager, Eamon O’Shea, and they get on well.

“Everything I’ve seen of Lar in the league so far, he has done well. His goal last weekend was class.

“I think Larry hasn’t shown as much this early in the league for a long time. I think, yeah, all the talk and criticism [is driving him on]. I mean, there’s only one way to answer that. For him, it’s to settle down and get into the background, if you like, in terms of publicity and just do his job on the pitch.

“I think that’s what everyone in Tipperary wants and I think what he wants as well. He retired this time last year. I expected him back playing, as most people did. But that just piled pressure on himself. He was in the spotlight and the limelight too much.

“This year, it’s more businesslike from him. It’s a better build up, from where he was coming from last year where he wasn’t even training with them. He’s coming through the pack and he’ll turn up ready in June and that’s what they want of him.”