Cahill reveals that a development panel is training in conjunction with the main squad

It was far from an enthralling spectacle in Nenagh on Sunday last but Tipperary boss Liam Cahill saw his youthful selection get a first win under the belt as the 2024 Allianz Hurling League came into sharp focus.

It is understandable that this game had all the hallmarks of a behind-closed-doors challenge game given both teams lost out to Waterford in their opening Munster Hurling League games, but what it does allow is for Cahill and his management team to run the rule over the players available to him, and he has certainly done so in the two games, with five debutants making their first starts for Tipperary on Sunday.

“We have a core panel that trains three nights a week, but we also have a good young development panel running in parallel to that,” Cahill revealed after the game in MacDonagh Park.

“We’re trying to integrate as many players as we can into our training sessions with our core group to make sure they get a good understanding of what is required from a training and preparation perspective.

“Some of them were on our panel today and got game time.

“There are a few lads there that are putting their hand up, and we’ll put a real structure on that by the first round of the league, and make sure the players that are in form will be brought with us, as well as keeping guys in the age bracket of 21 over older engaged as well that the door isn’t closed and that if they go away and do the work they will come into our plans as well.”

ANNOUNCEMENT

Tipperary GAA revealed late in 2023 that there would be no panel announcement made until after the Munster Hurling League, with the management team casting a wide net and giving players as much time as possible to stake a claim, but Cahill did identify a rough time frame on when the announcement could be made.

“There will be a cut made to the panel around early February. I’m not sure if it will fully be before the first round of the league (versus Dublin) but we will start putting a shape on it over the next fortnight or three weeks and really hone in on what we’re going after throughout the league and championship.

“With the extended panel, we’re trying to keep everybody with potential engaged and we’re trying to make sure and give them every opportunity to offer something to Tipperary, but we’re very conscious that we have to concentrate on our core group from the first round of the league onwards.

“And that’s what we’ll be doing now to make sure we’re in the shape required to go after the league and, ultimately, be ready for the first round of Munster Championship,” he finished.