Maher to discover if injury has wrecked year
Maher went over on the ankle while pucking around at home and was immediately taken to Mid-Western General Hospital in Nenagh.
The 22-year-old All Star will visit a specialist this morning to determine the full extent of the damage but early scans have confirmed a fracture.
He is certain to miss the remainder of Tipperary’s league campaign, starting with Sunday’s visit to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to take on Cork.
James Woodlock is a ready-made replacement to join Shane McGrath in midfield — ironically, after coming back from a serious leg injury himself, which kept him out for over a year.
There are others also who could fill the gap, including Gearóid Ryan, who has already played there this year, and the young but extremely talented Seamus Hennessey, though he is currently out injured.
Maher will nevertheless be a huge loss to the All-Ireland champions.
Even as Tipperary struggled in the early part of last year’s campaign the Borrisileigh star was one of their most consistent performers, one of the few who reached his full potential in Tipp’s shock opening-round loss to Cork.
Such was the level of his performances through the year that he rivalled fellow Tipp player Lar Corbett for player-of-the-year honours, the latter winning out by dint of a goal hat-trick performance in the All-Ireland final.
All in Tipperary — indeed all in hurling — will be hoping that the news today won’t be as bad as is currently feared and Maher will be back in time for the championship.
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