'We’ve a healthy competition at the moment but we have lots of tests coming' - Liam Cahill

Fast forward twelve months from the corresponding league meeting between Tipperary and Laois in Portlaoise, and you will see the stark difference in terms of the way the Premier are playing and applying themselves under new management.

It might be that the opposition allowed Liam Cahill’s charges to play the game their way and you could also argue that Willie Maher’s Laois team never showed their best, but it can’t be argued that the signs are showing a team heading in the right direction, even if only at the beginning of their journey.

There is this feeling of positivity around the way the team are playing, even at this early point in February and even though we will know a lot more after the clash with Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, Cahill was happy with his team’s output in the second half, as they put Laois away early last Saturday night.

“You look for that when the scoreboard is ticking on and the game is put to bed early, it does tend to allow a little bit of complacency to set in but I was happy with the way our guys applied themselves right through the game,” Cahill said.

“That was a big positive for me that they continued to keep working on what we had spoken about before we came out. We’ve a healthy competition at the moment but we have lots of tests coming.

"Obviously a big one next weekend in Nowlan Park with our near neighbours in Kilkenny and then we go from there to take on Dublin and Waterford as the League progresses so plenty of big challenges are coming and plenty of opportunities for new players to put their hands up.”

In a night where no line of the field or player could be accused of underperforming, one man who really took us back in time with his first half display was Patrick Maher, who was the link man for so many of the first half Tipperary scores, and Cahill was full of praise for Maher after the full-time whistle.

“Bonner retains all his energy and enthusiasm that he had since the first day he joined. He’s a big leader in our dressing room and he shows that on the field as well. We’re very happy to get him back onto the field and get good quality hurling into him,” Cahill added.

Undoubtedly, this young Tipperary panel will need that type of leadership throughout the year in order to make an impact on the championship landscape in a few months’ time, and there was positive news on the return of Seamus Callanan who is close to see action in the League having gotten a good block of training under his belt as he tries to banish his 2022 injury woes.

“Séamie is working behind the scenes with us in training, working really hard, and I’d expect to hopefully see Séamie over the next couple of weeks,” Cahill said.

It’s not all rosy in the garden in terms of injuries and players returning, with Conor Stakelum limping off with a hamstring injury that could see him miss most of the League, while Ger Browne will be an absentee for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, Cahill confirmed.

“Ger unfortunately has a recurring, ongoing knee issue. When we investigated it further during the week, it showed up that it’ll require surgery,” Cahill said.

“Unfortunate for Ger and unfortunate for us as well that Ger will likely miss the remainder of the season through that injury. Very disappointing news but Ger is very young and he’s a guy who will be back very soon when he gets that sorted out.”