Sheedy aware of problem areas
McIntyre merely verbalised what everyone else was thinking as the NHL lumbers into view but Sheedy isn’t shy about pinpointing areas where he believes Tipp must improve if they are to challenge Kilkenny’s dominance in 2009.
“We’ve struggled in the half-forward line. That’s the area where we probably need to get more possession and feed more ball into what I would consider to be a very, very capable inside forward line,’’ he said.
“That’s probably where we fell down last year but, having said that, we have had a situation where Seamus Callanan got a nomination for Young Hurler of the Year and John O’Brien got man of the match in the Munster final with 1-3.”
Tipp chopped and changed their half-forward line to an unsettling degree last summer. Callanan started all three games but five other players auditioned for the other two slots and two of the starters were called ashore in all three Championship games.
“We just need to find a consistency in the half-forward line. We also have to make sure that all of the other areas continue to deliver as well as they have delivered in 2008. It’s about trying to get the panel assembled and get going again.”
His hopes for the half-forward line haven’t been helped by an injury crisis which has sucked in Callanan, Hugh Maloney, Micheal Webster and Darragh Egan, all of whom played in that sector last summer. Eoin Kelly is also on the casualty list.
Not an ideal canvas on which to be commencing the season, especially with a trip to Waterford scheduled in as their first stop on Sunday, but Sheedy is hoping his worries prove to be a blessing in disguise.
“The fact that I have so many injuries, there’s guys going to get jerseys when I announce the team that maybe didn’t see a jersey and maybe thought they might have seen some action last year in the championship. This is a chance now.”
Another priority in the weeks and months to come will be finding someone to fill the considerable boots of the retired Eamonn Corcoran, who played every minute of Tipp’s championship run last year in what was his 10th campaign.
“Guys like Eamonn don’t come around too often. It’s difficult but Eamonn owes Tipperary nothing and he owes me nothing. He’s a top class guy and if someone wants a role model for Tipperary hurling over the last 10 years there’s only one man and that’s Eamonn Corcoran.
“The encouraging thing is that Benny Dunne and Diarmuid Fitzgerald have been playing wing-back in the last few matches and probably see an opening.”
Unearth solutions to those few issues and Tipperary should be confident of erecting a barrier between Kilkenny and their quest for an historic four-in-a-row of All-Irelands — something the premier county never had the opportunity to attempt last season.
Undefeated all year, and with Waterford Crystal, NHL and Munster medals in their back pockets, Tipp’s march was unexpectedly halted in the All-Ireland semi-final when they fell two points short to Waterford.
“We felt that our form going into it was good and we had trained well,” Sheedy recalled.
“We had a good few injuries which didn’t help but we didn’t start the way we wanted to.
“We wanted to get to the All-Ireland final. We didn’t feel that we had enough done and that we wanted to stop there. We wanted to get in and we would have looked forward to it. You want to try and pit yourself against the best.”
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