TIPPERARY HURLING BOSS Liam Sheedy has backed the Gaelic Players Association’s call to ramp up testing of county squads if it makes the games safer to play.
After polling its players, the GPA demanded “baseline testing” of all county panels to be rolled out across the board in order for the season to be continued.
The GAA’s Covid-19 advisory committee met yesterday evening to discuss the matter with a statement anticipated later today. Sitting on that group are GPA CEO Paul Flynn and infectious diseases expert Mary Horgan, who earlier this week said there is little benefit to rapid testing of players.
But Sheedy said the extra testing would be welcomed if it reduces the risk for the players in the weeks ahead.
“I’d be very supportive of anything that helps to ensure the safe playing of our games,” said the two-time All-Ireland winning manager.
“And if that move is simply on the move that it makes our games and our players safer I think that those actions are right.
“You mightn’t like the outcome that you get but ultimately you will know it’s all based on safety first. The most important thing throughout the next number of weeks, we’re all in there and all trying to do our best to get the teams to perform but the most important thing is the safety and welfare of our players and families.
“So if testing is increasing the safe playing of our games then I absolutely think it is worth considering. I’m not the expert in that space but I can understand where that would be coming from, definitely.”
The Premier open the defence of their All-Ireland crown against Limerick or Clare in the Munster semi-final on 1 November. Sheedy confirmed defender Seamus Kennedy will miss the game after suffering damage to medial ligaments in his knee.
“Seamus Kennedy at the moment is the one who’s probably not going to make it,” he said.
“He’s in a brace. He gave his medial ligament a strain. He should be out of the brace before the game but he won’t be available at this stage for selection which is unfortunate.
“He won’t make it for the first piece of action but he shouldn’t be long after that before we have him back in the fray. It’s not a long-term injury, thankfully.”
There was more positive news about John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer who is on the comeback trail following foot surgery in the summer.
“John has had a really tough time of it. He was in a boot nearly for four weeks over the course of the summer. Really when you look back since the All-Ireland Final last year he’s had very, very limited activity. He’s been really tested by an injury that we just couldn’t get right. The operation has been done and he’s back training really hard.
“I would give the guy huge kudos for the way he has gone about his business for the last four or five weeks because, as I said, that injury really impacted his ability to prepare. But for the last few weeks he’s been superb. He’s coming really strong and it looks like the injury is behind him.
“Hopefully now over the next week or ten days we can fine-tune him again. But he’s made giant strides and it looks like he will be fit and available for selection for 1 November, all going well.”
In addition, 2019 ACL victim Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher has benefited from the club campaign and is in “great shape” according to Sheedy.
“He’s going great. He’s a great guy, he’s a real warrior. Probably great for him that his club Lorrha made the final stages of the Seamus O Riain competition, which was very, very positive for him.
“It allowed him to get pitch action because I think building him up the club scenario was probably the ideal opportunity for him to get some exposure to real high intensity games without maxing out so yeah and, as I said, he’s come back into us in great shape.
“He’s had a very, very solid club campaign and I think we all know the Bonner that’s been there over the last number of years, he’s worked very hard and I think he’s a real shining example.
“The impact that he had on the group in 2019 when he wasn’t inside the white lines was immense really.
“He just has that natural leadership skills that you want around your squad and it’s great to see him back inside the white lines because I think we all know that’s where he makes the biggest impact and for him, he was having a really good 2019 championship.
“Everything was going extremely well for him until he got his injury so we’ll be very happy if Bonner picks up where he left off in 2019, that’s for sure.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
