Tipperary manager Michael Ryan pictured at the launch of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
By Cian O'Connell
Tipperary manager Michael Ryan expects Seamus Callanan to be available for the Gaelic Grounds May 20 Munster Hurling Championship opener against Limerick.
Callanan played for his club Drom-Inch in the mid Tipperary Championship at the weekend and Ryan reckons the prolific forward to feature against Limerick.
“I expect Seamus to be available," Ryan confirmed. "What we don’t know is how his next three weeks will be, but he’s healthy and that’s the main thing.
“He’s in great shape. The benefit of being 6’3 is you don’t put up weight or at least you don’t appear to. Look, the last couple of weeks have been good for Seamie. He has been on the pitch for his club and that's where we wanted to see him.
“We are after having a good few rounds in Tipp. The last finished on Sunday evening there. I know Noel McGrath has had two games over the last period plus a football game. That has been very good for him.
Michael Cahill, though, suffered a worrying hamstring injury in a club game for Thurles Sarsfields. “It happened on Saturday," Ryan stated. "It’s three weeks to when we kick off. The key thing is that we get him back and get him back right.
“We won’t rush him. Plenty of fellas will take the opportunity with both hands if they think there’s a chance to get in there for a two or four jersey.
"It never looks good when you see a guy going off putting ice on a hamstring.
"That’s not a good sign, but look, we knew this was a risk. We just have to wait and see. Three weeks is still a fair bit of time for a soft tissue injury. And as long as it’s not a grade one. If it’s a little bit easier than that, then it’s okay."
Ryan is also hopeful that Dan McCormack and Patrick Maher will be fit for the Limerick encounter. "I saw Dan play at the weekend," Ryan remarked. "He’s certainly benefited from the last two or three weeks from his club. They were very competitive and Dan seemed to be in good form for his club.
Tipperary forward Seamus Callanan.
"Bonner’s fate wasn’t quite as good. He did get a game in, but that hamstring has proven a little bit more problematic than we had hoped.
"No he won’t be a doubt. He’ll be fine. We’d just love to have him benefit from all of those club games having missed the last few games for us, but look, we have a clear run now so I expect Bonner will be getting a clear run in training."
Ryan remains optimistic despite a disappointing Allianz Hurling League Final defeat at Nowlan Park against Kilkenny. "I’d say the difference is we came up against Kilkenny and they were flying," Ryan adds.
“You know, for us, and I did make this point on the day, it was still a very good League for us. "We started earlier. We certainly used as many as we possibly could, so in terms of experience our boys are well ready.
"I don’t think any of them will be panicking if they get a tap on the shoulder to go in there be it the first round game or whatever game in the Munster Championship and that was the whole point of the League.
"Look, we never like to lose a final. And we certainly never like to lost a final or any game to our nearest and dearest rivals, Kilkenny.
"It’s a point in time, it’s done, we need to look ahead and that’s the only direction we’re looking at, at the moment."
Ryan doesn't believe there is a weakness in Tipperary. "We were the ones in the League final," Ryan stated. "I’ll point that one out first. Realistically, there was 10 teams eligible to get there – we got there. Talk to the rest of them. I’m happy enough where we are at in it.
"Kilkenny do what they do best, play for 70 plus minutes. That is the single biggest feather in their cap that the rest of us strive for. I don’t think that is disingenuous to any other competitor – they are the market leaders in that.
"And have been. On top of quality players – we all have quality players – that is the single biggest differentiator between Kilkenny and the rest of us."
