Any inter-county manager of note will tell you they’ll be facing some incredibly hard decisions over the coming weeks, only Liam Cahill doesn’t necessarily see it that way. Speaking about the process of selecting a matchday panel of 26, and a starting team of 15, the Waterford hurling manager pointed to one absolute prerequisite.
“It’s very simple, actually,” said Cahill. “You have to be 100 per cent fit and ready to play. It doesn’t matter who you are, reputations or anything like that, if the player is not fit and ready you don’t play.”
It’s a practice which served Cahill well during Waterford’s run to the Allianz Hurling League title earlier this month, including the final showdown against Cork: midfielder Calum Lyons, full-back Conor Prunty, and full-forward Stephen Bennett all returned to full fitness, making major impacts.
While Iarlath Daly didn’t make the matchday panel, younger brother Carthach did, stepping in for the suspended Austin Gleeson. He produced another coming-of-age display and is unquestionably in form to feature on Sunday as Cahill welcomes his native Tipperary to Walsh Park for the opening round-robin game of the Munster championship.
At 19, Carthach is the same age Iarlaith was when featuring in the 2020 All-Ireland final defeat to Limerick, coming in for the injured Tadhg De Burca. Cahill noted: “He’s not even 20 yet and showed form like that with his club (Lismore) when I saw him early in the championship last year so I’m thrilled that he’s stepping up.
“You never know when you bring in these guys whether they’re able to step up or not especially when they’re as young as Carthach, and he’s definitely a guy who’ll have a big future once he stays lucky and stays sound.”
Cahill has yet to lose a match in Walsh Park since taking over as Waterford manager in September 2019, league or championship. Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar has confirmed there are fresh doubts about whether or not Séamus Callanan will see any Munster hurling action in the coming weeks.
The 2019 hurler of the year had already been ruled of Tipperary’s first two round-robin games against Waterford next Sunday and Clare on Sunday week, due to a broken hand sustained back in February.
The problem now for the Drom and Inch clubman is that the injury became infected, and it’s unclear when exactly he’ll be able to return to regular hurling practice.
Nightmare
“In Seamie’s case, it’s a bit of a nightmare for him because the infection now is gone into the bone so it is going to be a bit longer in terms of trying to manage that injury that he got,” explained Bonnar. “That was bad enough but the infection has carried through now. It’s going to be very difficult for him.”
Of those in line for selection, Denis Maher is the only doubt due to a hip-flexor injury. John “Bubbles” O’Dwyer was already ruled out for the rest of the season as he continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered last year.
In football, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor saw his midfield options increase significantly with the return of David Moran, who played his first game in over four months at the weekend and he is in line for some involvement in the Munster semi-final against Cork next month.
Moran started for Kerins O’Rahillys in their 0-12 to 1-10 County League Division 1 defeat to Spa on Saturday evening. Moran had been sidelined since injuring his groin in the county final loss to Tralee rivals Austin Stacks last December.
O’Connor’s midfield options have increased further with the return of Stefan Okunbur, who also missed Kerry’s successful Allianz League campaign with a dislocated shoulder from a club match.
