Leader Callanan ready to go again with Tipp

With two All Stars won in succession, Séamus Callanan is surely the defining Tipperary hurler going into the 2016 season.

The Drom-Inch forward enjoyed an outstanding season in 2014 when Tipperary were within a puck of a ball of winning the All-Ireland, and he was arguably even better last season, finding himself as the only Tipperary representative on the All Star team after a disappointing end to the season for the Premier County.

Following an off-season of flux for Tipperary - four retirements (Larry Corbett, James Woodlock, Shane McGrath, Conor O'Mahoney) and a change of manager (Michael Ryan in for Eamon O'Shea) - the 27-year-old Callanan now finds himself as the most experienced player on the Tipperary panel.

His significance to Tipperary, both in terms of his exceptional form and superior experience, can't be overstated as Tipperary began a new era of sorts under Ryan.

"There's different aspects to different fellas," said Callanan of his retiring teammates at the announcement of Allianz's renewed sponsorship arrangement with the GAA on Wednesday.

"Hurling isn't everything either. There's people there with young families and everything that have to be taken into consideration. Marriage and things like that going on. The lads that have retired from Tipperary owe nothing to Tipperary. They were great servants there for years so best of luck to them with their retirement."

Those retirements, as well as the succession of long-term assistant Ryan to Eamon O'Shea's managerial mantle, means the 'transition' word has been bandied about for Tipperary ahead of 2016 - a word that Callanan feels doesn't apply.

"I think that's too big a word," he said. "The core of that panel is still there from 2009 really onwards. A lot of the panel are still together, so there's a good bit of experience there. You need fresh faces coming through. It's a different dressing-room in a way to walk into. It's obviously a very positive one so looking forward to seeing what they have to offer."

Callanan also played down the significance of having a new manager, highlighting how prominent a figure Ryan has been in the background for Tipperary over the years.

"I've been used to Michael anyway for being involved for six to seven years with us," he said. "I'm personally back myself only the last week and I've trained on the pitch once. It was just a running session as well this time of year. Obviously it gives him a good chance to stamp his own hurling type onto the scene.

"Michael is very good, he's been in there with Liam and Eamonn. Obviously he'll want to bring his own stamp to it, so just really looking forward to getting going now."

Even though it may be in the past now, Tipperary's championship campaign of 2015 is still fresh in the memory, with the summer of 2016 still feeling like a long way away as we survey things from the dark depths of January. Tipperary promised much last year, winning the Munster title and going into the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway as warm favourites.

However, despite a stunning haul of 3-9 from Callanan keeping Tipperary in the game against the Tribesmen, the Connacht side deservedly advanced to the All-Ireland final, denying Eamon O'Shea the send off he and his players would have dreamed of in his final season.

"There was obviously criticism there last year after the Galway game that we weren't physical enough," says Callanan, remembering the aftermath of that game.

"It was a brand of hurling that we played and it was very successful in a lot of ways. A lot of teams couldn't counteract our movement and our skill. So look Michael has obviously brought in a few new players and big, rangy players, you need to be able to mix it as well as having the lovely style of hurling as well at the other side of it."

Even though Callanan admits that Ryan, a former defender, has targeted an improved physical performance from Tipperary, he hopes his county stick with a gameplan that is centred around speed, skill and movement, rather than power and force.

"Personally my own philosophy is on speed and movement, and skills take up a massive part of the game," he said. "Obviously you have to be able to ship tackles as well. I wouldn't say any of our players wouldn't have been able to do that. We were playing a lot of game with movement and that, get in as many hits when you're playing that sort of a game.

"It's no harm to try out this and bring in a few new guys like that. The panel has been freshened up obviously, so just looking forward to seeing these guys in the league and these guys will get their chances and see what it has to bring."

Callanan, now one of the Tipperary elder statesmen, has been given a break at the start of this season and he is yet to return to training with the county. It's a quieter January than usual anyway for Tipperary, with the county not taking part in the Munster pre-season competition this year.

As ever in Tipperary hurling, the talk of supporters is loud coming into the 2016 season, and following last season's defeat to Galway and the raft of retirements in the off-season, conversations are more doom-laden than usual. Callanan admits than while expectations may be lower than normal, it won't bother him as he continues his quest for a second All-Ireland medal.

"I tend to keep away from it," he said of the talk that swirls around Tipperary. "I don't really get involved in the talk about the hurling, I kinda look after myself and our team you know and keep myself in that bubble as much as I can. But obviously we'd have a massive belief in ourselves as a panel so anything outside that doesn't concern me and I don't bother with it."

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