League title would maintain Tipp drive - Callanan
SEAMUS CALLANAN is a unique figure in the Tipperary dressing-room — he is the only player who has won an Allianz Hurling League medal. It has been 12 years and counting since the Premier County won the competition. Last year, Limerick embossed their All-Ireland title by following it with outright success in the League, it’s something Tipp would like to replicate this season. ‘It’s a very long time since we picked up a League medal,’ the 2019 Hurler of the Year admitted. ‘There are different aspects to the
League campaign. You are trying to blood new players, lads are trying to get their match fitness up. But it would be great to win a bit of silverware at the end of it, it would be a good start to the year and build momentum going into the summer.’ In the re-formatted hurling league, Group A has taken on the role of a dress rehearsal for the Munster Championship with four of the five counties in the same section. ‘It is like a rehearsal for Championship and something to look forward to because we were all missing the hurling a bit over the last few months. There is great excitement with Limerick coming to Thurles on Saturday, it’s a massive game for spectators and everyone.’ Even though he is over 30, the Tipp captain appears to be in the form of his life, having scored a goal in each Championship game last term. His favourite of the eight goals came in the semi-final against Wexford, he recalls how sweetly he struck the ball. With all of the players nominated for 2019 Hurler of the Year being over 30, it has busted the myth that hurling is a young man’s game. ‘I don’t know what everyone else would be doing. But personally, you have to mind your body a bit more when you get a little bit older as well. ‘The training is hard. So is your recovery. It’s huge. So it’s probably how you treat your recovery that allows you to train to the best of your ability. And then performance comes with that. So it’s your dedication to recovery that keeps you going.’