Tough choice for Tipperary's Steven O’Brien in picking hurling

Steven O’Brien has insisted he agonised for a considerable time over his decision to drop Gaelic football and focus on hurling solely with Tipperary in 2016.

The All-Ireland U21 football finalist and senior regular dropped the bombshell news recently that he intends to give his full commitment to new hurling manager Michael Ryan.

It’s a huge blow to Tipp’s progressive football set-up as O’Brien and Colin O’Riordan were the midfield duo in last May’s U21 final and looked set to constitute the senior engine room for the next decade.