Sheedy: we’re in Tipp top shape

IT DOESN’T take long for Liam Sheedy to identify the biggest lesson from his first season as Tipperary manager. It was the All-Ireland semi-final loss to Waterford and even the date is burned in the memory.

“Every time you lose, it’s a learning day, and losing severely was a big learning day for us. The 17th of August last year... I suppose everything you do is based on bringing your performance out onto the field and we were very, very disappointed.

“And looking back on it, at the video afterwards, we just felt we didn’t bring the level of performance. The guys that played, every one of us in the backroom team – just collectively we didn’t bring our performance.

“We’ve all lost games, we’ve all played well and lost but to go there and not perform for the first time in the year, and find yourself out; it was a tough pill to swallow.”

Sheedy’s animated approach on the sideline last season sparked comment, but the Portroe man says it’s just who he is.

“I don’t think I was any more or less animated on the sideline that day compared to any game this year. I am who I am and that’s the way I am.

“I have to say I really enjoy the build-up to the match, the match itself, when you get to that stage it’s over – it’s over to the lads. I’m lucky in terms of the group I have, there’s fierce healthy competition but they’re all friendly. We’ve had them away twice and they’re very much at ease with each other.

“That’s a plus, but they need to be because against Clare, Cork and Waterford they were severely tested, and if they weren’t as close as they are, they could well have lost out.”

That bond has been cemented by the arrival of some of Sheedy’s All-Ireland-winning minors of 2006.

“This year we’ve had Eoin (Kelly), Shane (McGrath) and Conor (O’Mahony) suffering mumps and injuries, I think if we didn’t have that influx of youth into the squad we’d have been in real trouble, early in the league especially. The fact we got to the league final was perfect – it was five weeks before the championship and gave us a platform going into the Munster championship.

“It’s amazing to think there’s 11 players on the squad under 21, but it’s a good mix. A lot of the younger guys have got that winning mentality, they’ve been successful in Croke Park, winning minors and contesting U21 finals. The way those lads come in and train, and go at it, is something to see.

“They really want it and the way they train makes my job easy because there’s such great competition within the squad – yet it’s healthy. Definitely the squad is stronger for Noel (McGrath) and the younger guys coming in.”

Sheedy is also quick to pay tribute to his backroom colleagues. “I’m blessed with good people around me. (Selectors) Eamonn O’Shea and Mick (Ryan) take so much off my shoulders, (trainer) Cian (O’Neill) and the rest of the lads... that means my job literally is given over to the players.

“That’s the biggest plus for me. Cian does everything on the physical side, Eamonn does everything on the hurling side – the backroom team makes such a difference.

“The aim all the time is to make the set-up as professional as possible, to allow these guys to realise their potential. That’s all we try to do: to make it as professional as possible and see how they deal with it.

“Some lads parted company with us at the end of the year but the one thing I couldn’t say to them was their effort and commitment – it was exactly right, and continues to be. When you have competition and that youthful gust, it keeps everybody on their toes.”

This season has been one step after another – a good performance in the league final against Kilkenny, and a championship win in Croke Park.

“I’d say everything goes up a level after the league and we’d have seen the league final as preparation for the championship. Five weeks before the championship, we were anxious to qualify for the league final because what better preparation would there be?

“We didn’t start back until January with the training moratorium, so we’ve got to August this year probably fresher than last year, and that’s helped. We were very conscious after the Munster final of the need to go higher, but in terms of Tipp overall, a lot of lads had no winning experience in Croke Park, so this year was important. Winning against Limerick will stand to them.”

It’s a big weekend for Sheedy – and for his family, and for Portroe, as he points out. But that has to be put aside to focus on the job at hand.

“You’ve got to park all that, step out of the emotional jacket you have on. You’ve got to do the same for the next few weeks that you’ve been doing all year. On any given day, you can be sure my brothers John and Mike and my mother Bid will always be behind me. But you have to park all that.”

There’s enough for him to concentrate on in getting the result, but he also concedes his side are playing with plenty of style.

“You want to play to the absolute best of your ability,” says Sheedy. “Eamonn has them playing a lovely brand of hurling and some of the scores they’ve gotten have been very good. There’s speed around the place – we have guys who can travel and lads with good levels of skill. Some of the passages we’ve played this year have been as good as I’ve seen from us in the last two years.”

Now there’s only one hurdle left.