TREAT THEM & KEEP THEM
Beware the spring chickens says Cats hero Tyrrell, Kiely needs Limerick to peak in summer
FOR Jackie Tyrrell, things are just a little too good to be true for Limerick right now.
They’ve just won an All-ireland with a core group of players still a few years short of their peak and have started the League in very impressive fashion.
Winning an All-ireland after such a long lay-off, 45 years in Limerick’s case, often brings about a hangover in the early stages of the next
League campaign but there’s been no sign of it so far and, from listening to Tyrrell, you’d nearly think they’d be better off if there was.
They face Kilkenny in
Nowlan Park tomorrow when the nine-time Allireland winner (right), who will feature on
TG4’S new Laochra Gael series next Wednesday night, will be an interested observer.
“I am a little, yeah,” he says when asked if he’s surprised by Limerick’s start. “When you win an All-ireland, the confidence it gives you is unbelievable. And that’s not to be understated, it propels you forward. You just want to stay hurling.
“They’re on a conveyor belt and there’s a lot of good things going on in Limerick hurling and if you’re a player, you want to be a frontrunner in that.
“I wouldn’t be really getting too carried away by Limerick just yet. It’s a long year. I don’t see them winning the All-ireland this year, I really don’t.
“They’re nearly going too well for me now. I would be wrapping some of those lads in cotton wool and holding them back a bit.
“Clare need to hold back Tony Kelly too. It is a long year. I know we can only analyse what we see in front of us but I wouldn’t be getting too excited just yet.”
The idea of ‘holding back’ is a curious one. How do you do it? Tyrrell’s Kilkenny team were experienced enough to read the signs, an ability that Limerick may be yet to acquire.
“You knew by Brian’s [Cody] body language. When we trained from January to March, Brian would stand there with his wooly hat on, he wouldn’t even be in the middle of the pitch. He’d just be watching fellas.
“Fast-forward that to the middle of June when he’s in a t-shirt and the sweat is rolling off his head and he’s stuck right in the middle of it. You can tell by body language where you are and what’s expected on a given night.”
Tomorrow’s game appears to be the glamour fixture this weekend, though Tyrrell puts the pair of them outside of the main contenders. He stops short of saying his native county can’t win the All-ireland this year, however.
“Of course they can. Do I think they will? I don’t think they’re there just now. I’d like to see more of the League – will Richie Leahy come on and be a mainstay, will the get full-back sorted and solid? How will Cillian and Richie Hogan come back. There’s a few questions to be answered.
“I don’t see them in the top three. I think you have Clare, Galway and Tipperary – I don’t see Kilkenny or Limerick in that bracket at the minute.
“John Kiely will be sitting at home rubbing his hands together when he hears that!
“But honestly, I don’t think anyone is as far on as Clare are at the
You knew by Brian’s body language, January to March, he’d just be watching fellas. Fast forward to June and he’s stuck right in middle of it..
minute and until the League throws up more, I wouldn’t have Limerick or Kilkenny in there.”