Ormonde looking to reclaim Premier place

TIPPERARY captain Paul Ormonde admits he is ‘still hoping’ to regain his starting spot with the Munster finalists.

After Loughmore-Castleiney won the Tipperary county senior hurling championship last year they nominated Paul as their captain, and it was a sound proposition. An experienced defender, an All-Ireland winner in 2001, he has been a mainstay in the setup every year since he joined the Tipperary senior hurling panel in 1999.

The problem for Paul, however, is that because he was late in joining the panel this year due to Loughmore-Castleiney’s club championship run, his position at corner-back has been usurped.

Eamonn Buckley and a young tearaway called Conor O’Brien took advantage of his absence, and both are now firmly established alongside Paul Curran in the all-conquering Tipperary full-back line.

The team to face Clare in Sunday’s provincial decider hasn’t been picked yet, and he might still make it, but he’s battling the tide — not a happy position for any player with a bit of personal pride in his own ability.

“No-one is happy just to be there — if you are, you’ll never make the cut,”. he admitted. “I was late coming onto the panel. In March I wasn’t near the shape the boys were in. I’m starting to find a bit of form now, the fitness levels have come on a lot since March.

“It’s only July and there is a long way to September. I’m still hoping. It’s like the Kerry footballers, going for three-in-a-row. The next thing they lost two good forwards in (Paul) Galvin and (Declan) O’Sullivan and that opened up two slots. It was disappointing for them but someone else got in and played in the Munster final as a result of that.

“You just have to get yourself right, and if you do that, and if someone is injured or whatever in your position, a sub is needed — then you’re ready. If you hang the head and decide, well, ‘I’m happy to be here’, you’re not going to get up to the mark, and even if a vacancy comes you’re not going to be picked, because it’s being picked on form. Of course I want to be in, no point in just sitting on the bench.”

The problem is, the man in possession in Paul’s usual slot, the left corner:. “Conor is flying it, he’s one for the future I think, he has it in abundance — he has the hurling, he has the tenacity, he has it all.”

The only realistic opportunity then for those on the periphery to stake a claim is in training, the regular inter-squad matches that take place, and from the smile on Paul’s face when asked if those games are competitive, you can bet he’s taking full advantage of that opportunity.

“Ah they’d be competitive,” he says., “As competitive as they’re allowed to be, as competitive as lads want them to be.”

A referee? Manager Liam Sheedy perhaps?

“There’s someone standing in the middle of the field but there’s no whistle! It is hard, everyone wants to be on the team but the good thing about it is, with 33 fellas in there, and everyone wanting to be on the team that’s what creates the buzz.”

“It goes on current form, that seems to be the way Liam is picking at the moment and that’s a great incentive for those trying to get on the team.”

Being captain could add to Paul’s sense of frustration, the pressure to make the team – but he disagrees.

“The captaincy is a bonus to a person when you win and a cup is to be collected, but in Tipp there could be two or three captains this year there are a lot of leaders on the field – Conor O’Mahony, Shane

McGrath, Eoin Kelly, Lar Corbett, they’re all leaders and that’s the great thing about this year, you’re not looking in one direction for leadership, even the younger fellas coming through are providing that. They’re a united bunch and looking for success. The captaincy isn’t a problem, but I’d love to be on the field — I wouldn’t care about being captain if I’m on the team.”

Speaking of leaders, what’s the latest on centre-back Conor O’Mahony?

“He hurt his a/c joint a few weeks ago in a club match, we won’t know until about Thursday or Friday how he is. That’s a concern, he’s been having a good year so far, he’s really coming into his stride as a centre-back over the last two years, a late developer. He’s a big strong fella, he can hurl, he’s a central figure for us. He attends training but obviously he does his own work, he’s working with the physiotherapist. I don’t know the extent of it, but he has to mind that shoulder until it’s ready. But apart from Conor though I think everyone else is alright.”