Babs blasts ‘under-achieving’ Tipperary hurlers

BABS KEATING launched an astonishing attack at his under-achieving Tipperary hurlers last night, admitting: “Our lads are dead, only to wash them.”

The Premier County fell to their second Allianz League defeat in four games at Semple Stadium yesterday, as visitors Galway cruised to a 3-11 to 0-12 victory.

And afterwards, Tipp's legendary coach levelled both barrels at the squad, indicating that the management committee had "some serious thinking" to do ahead of the championship.

He blasted: "We're seeing nothing near the effort being put in in training. I'm told it's lack of confidence, (but ) the players show no lack of confidence in looking for this, that and the other thing. We've a lot of thinking to do. As soon as we have one hole closed there's another two open up.

"I came from a hard school it was hard to play hurling in Tipperary when I played, and that's a school these lads don't understand. I'm in a dilemma insofar as if you're as hard on them as you'd like to be, they (the players) don't seem able to take the constructive criticism."

He explained: "It's the overall attitude. I see Galway players there, roaring at each other from goalkeeper to corner-forward. Our fellas are dead only to wash them. We can't get the drive we want into them. We had frees today and our lads were strolling up to take them as if they were there 'til 12 midnight.

"Nothing has happened today that we haven't pinpointed in training. As soon as we go five yards we go back ten yards with this squad.

"We don't have too many alternatives, we're using the same pack of cards the whole time. What position on the field have we honestly filled after all the games we've played and all the guys we've tried?"

The usually reliable Tipp keeper Brendan Cummins was even culpable for a couple of the goals "horrible" mistakes according to Keating, but completely out of character.

"He could claim two (of the goals), but that doesn't worry me. If we start worrying about Brendan Cummins, we've more of a headache that we bargained for. Those things happen on a wet day."

Keating said that the commitment in training wasn't a problem, but that effort was not being carried onto the field by the Tipp hurlers.

The coach even went so far as to reveal: "I was in St Peter and Paul's for Mass at 11 o'clock this morning and I've never prayed as hard in my life. I'm like Fr (Alex) Reid, who said: 'We'll do what we reasonably can and leave the rest to the grace of God.'"