Woodlock hails Tipp masterminds

TIPPERARY midfielder James Woodlock paid tribute to the Premier County’s senior hurling management team yesterday following Tipp’s mauling of Limerick in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final.

Woodlock credited the “huge professionalism” of Tipp manager Liam Sheedy and selectors Eamonn O’Shea and Michael Ryan in preparing the All-Ireland finalists.

“I’d have to say I’ve never worked with as professional a management team,” said Woodlock. “The whole group is like a big family. Liam (Sheedy) and the lads are hugely professional, they’re in contact with the members of the panel practically seven days a week, and everything is laid on for you as a player.

“I think the backroom team learned a lot from last year, when we lost to Waterford, and they’ve brought the lessons they learned into this season to help us. And a lot of the players are a bit more mature as well, which helps.

“We’ll be huge underdogs against Kilkenny, but there’s a good atmosphere in the camp and we’ll be ready for the final. From the start of the year I suppose everybody was predicting a Kilkenny-Tipperary final, but we didn’t buy into any of that.

“As far as we were concerned it’s been one game at a time all year.”

Woodlock said victory in Croke Park was a big boost for Tipperary, though he agreed that Limerick had simply had an off day which contributed to their heavy defeat.

“It was a big bonus winning in Croke Park, obviously, it’s been a few years since we won there. Winning by that much was a big monkey to get off the back and it’ll be good for the confidence going into the final.

“Sunday wasn’t a reflection of Limerick at all, in fairness. I played in the three games against them back in 2007, when they beat us, and I know just how strong they are.

“We were expecting a tough, physical battle but it just didn’t happen for them, they had an off day, like Waterford had in the All-Ireland final last year, so you’d wonder how much credit you’d get for a game like that.”

The Drom-Inch midfielder conceded that Tipp have a youthful team but pointed out that many of the players have underage experience of All-Ireland finals.

“We have a young team – one of the lads made out the team’s average age at about 24. There are a few lads around my age who have played in U21 All-Ireland finals and then you have the likes of Paudie and Brendan Maher and Noel McGrath, they have All-Ireland minor medals so they have good experience of big days, even if those weren’t senior All-Ireland finals.

“From now on, the hype will be building, but that goes for both counties, not just Tipperary.”

Woodlock will be more familiar with that hype than most, as the Garda is based in Kilkenny.

“I’ll have plenty of motivation anyway! We’ve been very focused all year and we haven’t lost the run of ourselves after any game, which probably shows maturity. For instance, we had a good performance in the league final but we didn’t get carried away at all.

“After the game on Sunday we had a good debriefing session and we’ll be focused on the next few weeks, getting ourselves right for the final. Our attitude from the start of the year has been we had five steps to take, and we’ve taken four. Only one is left.