WHILE BECOMING A more physical and determined outfit might not have been a conscious thing on Tipperary’s behalf, All-Ireland winning captain Brendan Maher has pinpointed a couple of his favourite moments from the season as evidence that the team had a new edge.
Both involved Pádraic Maher – and both came against Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
There was that crunching hit that sent Joe Canning careering out over the Hogan Stand touchline and the memorable hook that denied Conor Cooney when it appeared that the Galway forward was about to score what could have been a decisive goal.
In a one-point game, both were crucial interventions, Canning going off with possible collateral damage while that hook was further evidence that on the day, Tipp would not be denied.
I caught up with Brendan on the Friday morning of the All-Star awards, as he was travelling to Dublin via Portlaoise, and when I asked him for some of his stand-out moments of the year, those were the ones the colossal Borris-Ileigh clubman put forward.
He said: “There were a couple of moments that stood out that we referred back to.
“Paudie’s hook in the semi-final was massive, his hit on Joe was well-talked about, things like that, the Munster final performance.
A couple of things really stood out for us as a team, signs and confidence boosters that we were doing things right.
“Even throughout the League, we were always challenging each other, getting ourselves better and making sure that we were right for the championship.
“We were very disappointed to go out of the League at the quarter-final stage but we never lost our focus.
“We were always focused on 22 May against Cork, and wanted to hit the ground running. From there, it flowed nicely for us.
Apart from the Galway game, we performed very well in every game, dominated each team. Overall it was a great year but unfortunately now it’s history and we need to start cracking on for next year.”
At the GAA/GPA Opel All-Star banquet, Tipp took home seven awards, after having 15 players nominated.
“It’s great that we were recognised,” Brendan says. “A sign of the whole team effort that we had, the consistency of the team this year. It’s another bonus on top of a great year.”
When Michael Ryan took over as Tipperary manager last year, he promised a more direct and physical approach.
That certainly came to pass but Brendan explains that it happened in tandem with rising intensity levels in training. Get it right in Dr. Morris Park and Semple Stadium on a training night, and there’s a better chance that a performance will manifest itself on matchday, is his reflection.
Maher had a terrifically consistent season, unlucky in this writer’s eyes not to win an All-Star, but lifting the Munster and Liam MacCarthy Cups more than makes up for that.
In the Munster final, the 27-year-old put in a big hit of his own, driving Waterford’s Kevin Moran out over the touchline at the same time.
“I ended up doing my A/C (shoulder) joint,” he reveals. “I don’t think we had an extra emphasis on physicality but you always look for those opportunities.
“It would have been discussed among players, the three or four around that (midfield) warzone, about the need to lay down a marker and set the tone.
“That wouldn’t have been something told to us to do but the three or four of us around that area, that’s our game, we would have said ‘look, we need to get a turnover or something to get the team going.’
“Small things can have a big impact on the team and can turn a game. The likes of Paudie’s hook was a major turning point in the game against Galway.
“It wasn’t as if we went out to say that we were going to be more physical,” he re-iterates.
We just went out and played like we were training. The intensity in our training probably came up. It’s great to reflect back on a good year but reflecting back means it’s history. We need to start thinking forward now.”
When the season ended, Maher embarked on a fund-raising mission for Loughmore National School, where he’s a teacher in their ‘Solas’ autistic unit.
Testament to his efforts, the ‘Mol an Óige’ musical fundraiser at the Dome in November was a resounding success.
On and off the field, Maher is an indomitable spirit. Humble, polite, generous but with a steely mind-set when he’s in the heat of battle, he’s a born leader and it should have come as no surprise that Ryan retained his services as captain of the Tipperary team in 2016.
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Captain of the Tipp team that won the All-Ireland minor title in 2007, Brendan became the fourth man from Borris-Ileigh to skipper a senior team to September glory, following in the footsteps of Sean Kenny, Jimmy Finn and Bobby Ryan.
A few days after Tipp blitzed Kilkenny at Croke Park, Brendan visited Jimmy with the Liam MacCarthy Cup, a lovely touch and a clear example that Brendan doesn’t forget his roots.
He’ll also play wherever he’s asked to by Tipperary. He’s lined out at corner back at senior level, wing back, midfield (where he won his All-Ireland senior medals in 2010 and 2016), and centre forward (where he was utilised by Eamon O’Shea in 2015).
Midfield appears to be his most natural position and this year, Brendan forged an impressive partnership with Michael Breen. As Breen was given the licence to push forward, Brendan sat a little deeper to help ‘mind the house’. It was a tactic that worked brilliantly as Brendan attended to more defensive duties, while also pushing forward when the opportunities presented themselves.
He’s since passed over the captaincy of the Tipperary team to Pádraic Maher, and is fully supportive of the decision to switch skippers.
“I’m delighted with my time as captain. I had three years, which is more than what a lot of lads have had.
“It was an honour to captain Tipp and special to finish up in the role as I did, achieving my dream of captaining an All-Ireland winning senior team.
“There’s no better man to pass it on to. There are lots of lads who deserve the honour, I’m happy that I had it for as long as I did and I’m happy to pass it on to Paudie.
“He has previous experience, a bit like myself, having captained the U21s in 2010.
“He’s captained his club as well and has a great record.
“I think I’ve said it before, it is a title at the end of the day and we have a number of leaders and lads who are captain material.
Only one person can get the role but he has all the credentials that are needed and he doesn’t need to do anything differently to what he normally does. It won’t be a burden to him.
“I’m fully supportive of the decision it gives everybody a different edge now and freshens it up, with a new captain and vice-captain (Seamus Callanan).
“It gives me another boost to go at it again, I’m very motivated ahead of 2017 to go out and perform and nail down a place again. Change is good, and this is really freshening up the thing.”
Maher admits that it took him a while to adjust to the role of captain, after he assumed the responsibility ahead of the 2014 campaign.
He reflected: “I definitely would understand if somebody was to say that it can be a burden.
“There’s a lot of extra stuff that goes with it, all sorts you have to do but I tried to learn as much as possible from previous captains and spoke to Eoin (Kelly) and Paul (Curran).
“I was living with Shane McGrath when I was named as captain and Shane was the outgoing captain from 2013.
“He spoke to me very openly about stuff he struggled with and found a burden.
“Still, you learn so much on your feet, just little things you could get caught up in.
“But I learned so much in the first 12 months, in 2014, and I found myself becoming a lot more relaxed in the role.”
Maher believes that freshness and change are crucial if Tipp are to emulate their 2016 heroics.
And he said: “We need to better next year, that’s the reality, if we want to achieve success again.
“We’re like every other team now, down at the bottom of the hill and starting the climb again.
“We have to get off to a good start and hit the ground running on 11 February against Dublin at Croke Park, which is a great place to start.”
Maher is predicting another fierce battle for places not only on the starting 15, but on match-day squads.
He said: “It was so competitive this year, fierce competition for places on the team, the 26 and on the panel.
It’s always open season in there. Mick and the boys are never slow to recognise somebody’s talent and performance but you know yourself that if you’re not performing, you’re not going to be picked.
“It’s a great way to have it and we have a good, strong panel with new lads getting their chance and lads like myself around a few years trying to nail down a place and keep performance levels up.
“It’s a good environment to be in – we’re looking forward to getting back at it again and while the off-season is great, you have your break and you’re soon mad to get going.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
