Thurles Sarsfields selector Connie Maher bemoans long Tipperary gap

Thurles Sarsfields selector Connie Maher has bemoaned the 14-week break in this year’s Tipperary SHC championship.

In comparison to the 23-week gap in the Dublin senior football championship, the pause doesn’t look so yawning but it didn’t do the reigning champions or other clubs any favour, says Maher.

This Sunday, Sarsfields hope to emulate the club’s last three-in-a-row feat accomplished in the 1960s but Maher says the balance between club and county is not right.

“It was 14 weeks since we played against Drom-Inch — that’s a long time to be trying to get over the fact they gave us a right dressing down. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise but it is still a long way to go and wait for the next match.

“We were a small bit rusty last week (v Borrisoleigh) and maybe a little better (v Clonoulty-Rossmore) but it was a long break and it can be hard to keep the whole thing going. You don’t know whether to keep training or whether to have a break or to stop altogether.

“In fairness to (manager) Tommy (Maher) and the lads, they planned it out well and it worked well.”

There were also issues for Sarsfields who had five players in the Tipperary set-up. “It was okay for (Maher brothers) Paudie, Ronan and Michael Cahill but we had a couple of guys that hadn’t many matches played with the county, Stephen (Cahill) and Aidan (McCormack) in particular.

“Those guys probably took an extra bit of time to come back. A lot of clubs were in the same boat with county players so that’s not just ourselves.”

Maher says Sarsfields, in a way, have become victims of their own success.

“The availability of senior players with the county set-up is very disruptive. It is very noticeable when we get our senior players back into the fold, I wouldn’t say the ante is upped at training but it makes it better.

“We had five lads in with the seniors, a couple with the U21s and right down to our intermediate team with Conor (Stakelum) in with the minors. It is not for me to say but obviously there has to be something done with it somewhere along the line.”

Sarsfields are white-hot favourites to retain the Dan Breen Cup but Maher points to how Kiladangan softened their coughs in a round-robin championship game last year. “Kiladangan beat us by 24 points to 12 last year (3-15 to 0-12), gave us a right good dressing down.

“Fellas might say it was a wet day or that Sarsfields didn’t need to win but that’s a load of crap.

“When you come up against teams that are going to be contesting, you are always trying to shove them back a small bit and they gave us a dressing down.

“It will focus the minds, if you really need it, but do you really need to motivate yourself for a county final with something extra?

“To win a county championship should be motivation enough and these guys have their own agenda for themselves in their own heads.”