O'Dwyer: 'We knew exactly what we wanted to do'
John O Dwyer pictured at the launch of the FEXCO Asian Gaelic Games.
By Cian O'Connell
John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer always felt that John McGrath would make a summer impact.
McGrath grabbed a hat-trick of goals in Tipperary’s emphatic Munster SHC Final win over Waterford, a match O’Dwyer missed through suspension.
“You could see it coming because in the League he was probably our best player along with Michael Breen,” O’Dwyer commented.
“It has been coming a while and in the first couple of games he was outstanding, but he didn’t get the scores that he deserved and then the ball eventually broke for him in the Munster final.
“The work rate he had in the first two games and not getting the scores. He had the same work rate in the Munster final and the scores went for him so it was good for John to get them scores.”
Now that Tipperary have unearthed another accurate attacker will the scoring burden be eased on O’Dwyer and Seamus Callanan? “It will a bit, but sure myself and Seamus put pressure on ourselves to because we consider ourselves scorers and stuff like this,” O’Dwyer replied. “The whole team is scoring.
“Look at Michael Breen, he’s chipped in with what, 3-4, 3-5 from play from midfield. That’ serious going. You have the half forward line Bonner (Patrick Maher) chip in with his two or three points, Noel (McGrath) and Dan (McCormack) and then when you are playing in the inside forward line you are playing there for a reason, and that’s to get scores.
“It was good in the Munster final that the ball actually broke for John and he finished all his chances well.”
John O Dwyer is available following suspension.
Did Tipperary suffer because of the five week gap between the Munster decider and All Ireland SHC Semi-Final in 2015? “I don’t think so,” is O’Dwyer’s verdict.
“Personally, I was flat against Galway, but like do you know Galway didn’t allow us hurl and I don’t think it has anything got to do with the five week gap.
“There’s a lot made of this give week gap, but I don’t think it has much of a difference. Myself personally I was flat against Galway and most of the team were, but I don’t think it was anything to do with the five week gap.
“I don't think it’s the players or the management that makes up excuses for Tipp. I think it’s the people outside of that. If we win a match we win a match and if we lose, we lose and we say, ‘well done’ to the other team, and, ‘fair play to ye.’
“If we win against Galway, hopefully we do, and if we lose we are not going to blame the five week game, we are not going to blame anything else.
“We are just going to say we didn’t perform on the day and that’s it - we don’t want any excuses.”
O’Dwyer feels that Galway’s win at the penultimate stage doesn’t carry any extra significance 12 months later. “I don’t think it will. Last year’s forgotten about at the start of this year. A lot of similar players and stuff like that, but new management put his own stamp on it along with his selectors and coach and whatever.
“The start of the year we put everything to bed at a meeting, this is a new year for Tipperary and we started the year, we went through the League and once Championship came we knew exactly what we wanted to do.” That is to deliver in Croke Park.
