Tipperary go into Sunday's opening Munster Senior Hurling Championship game against Clare in Ennis (4pm) on the back of encouraging form in the Allianz National League campaign, when they won five matches before losing to eventual champions Limerick in the semi-final.
Reflecting on the league campaign, Tipperary captain Noel McGrath says “The league is a great place to find out where you are. The league as a whole was good for Tipp this year. A lot of lads got game time, which exposed players to serious games.
“It was disappointing to lose to Limerick. We were in a decent position for half the game, but we were playing against a quality team who have done that to a lot of teams before.
"But it’s about finding out more about yourself in situations like that. If you’re in that position again against any of the teams you’re ready for it.
“We got a lot out of the league”.
From what we’ve seen so far, Limerick still appear to be the team to beat?
“I suppose they are the standard bearers at the moment. They’ve won the last three All-Irelands and won a good few leagues and Munster as well.
“When it goes back to the motivation, that’s what keeps you going, that hope and that opportunity to go and take on the best teams and to test yourself against the best. At the moment they (Limerick) are that.
“There are a lot of good teams out there as well, no more so than Clare in Ennis, and that’s the main focus at the moment. If you start looking any further down the track you get sidetracked.
“It’s well talked about that Munster is so competitive, and if you’re not on your game any day you go out you’ll be done, so I think it’s important that we get ourselves focused, and every team in Munster is looking to do the same”.
Has his role as captain made much of a difference to him?
“I haven’t changed much, to be honest. I suppose my idea of being captain is that you train as hard as you’ve ever trained, you play as good as you’ve ever played, you give the same amount that you’ve given before. There’s no real difference.
“If you feel like you need to say something, or that something needs to be said at a certain time you say it. I would have been no different when I wasn’t captain as to what I am as captain. There are a lot of good lads around there as well who know when to speak at the right time.
“I think leading with actions is probably the most important thing. You turn up to training every night and you turn up for matches in a good frame of mind, and you give everything that you have and that’s the way I’ve been dealing with it so far.
“The management are very good in the dressing room as well, and they say the things that need to be said.
“If I feel there’s a need for things to be said before or during matches, I’ve no problem doing it and that was the same when I wasn’t captain, and I’m happy to stay in the same vein and perform as best I can”.
The Tipperary panel has become something of a family affair for Noel McGrath; not only are his brothers John and Brian an integral part of the set-up again this year, they’ve now been joined by their cousins John and Pauric Campion.
“Once you go in and there are 34 or 35 lads in training every night, whether you’re related or not you have to go and pour yourself out at training and give everything that you have, and take on whoever you’re marking in training, the same as a match. So in fairness to John and Pauric they’ve come in this year and they’ve brought great freshness and eagerness and a hunger, along with a lot of other lads as well”.
When asked about changes in the game during his career, he says “When I started out in 2009 it was totally different, there were a lot less tactics to it but the game has evolved over time.
“I enjoy it in a lot of ways because it challenges you in different ways. You have to figure it out and think on your feet, and you have to think of yourself probably a lot more than you used have to.
“For me when you go on the field you’re not really thinking of tactics that much. You’re just thinking of what you need to do to get on the ball, or to be in a position to get the ball.
“You still need to be able to use your skill and your instinct as well. I suppose all the top players are able to play off their own instinct, and if you’re looking for someone to direct you from the sideline or from somewhere else you’re just going to get caught because you’re too slow.
“Every team in the country has direction now, and has structures in place.
“But when you get on the field those structures could be blown out the window in five minutes so you have to be able to think on your feet as well”.
