Doyle to introduce new faces gradually

NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE: Ian O'Riordan talks to new Tipperary manager Michael Doyle about his approach to the National League

With eight of the 12 top-flight counties starting this weekend's National Hurling League under different management it was generally expected that most teams would feature experimental selections - partly since new managers like to make an immediate impression as much as new players.

Tipperary manager Michael Doyle has resisted the temptation. His team to play Offaly in Nenagh on Sunday features only one senior debut, and instead is built around nine starters from the line-up that fell to Kilkenny in last summer's All-Ireland semi-final.

John Devane, who broke though last season in the under-21 grade, is the sole senior debut at corner back. David Kennedy returns from injury to start at centre back, while Michael Ryan has been given a starting place at midfield.

There are no other surprises, either in positions or otherwise.

"Well we certainly didn't see the point in throwing in say seven or eight new players at the very start," says Doyle. "The plan is to gradually break in new players, and introduce two or three different lads at a time.

"John (Devane) though has been hurling very well in challenge games, and in the Fitzgibbon Cup as well, so he was clearly up to it. But we do expect to try out several more players over the next few weeks, the sort of faces that wouldn't be so familiar to too many people."

There is another reason behind Doyle's decision to go with the strongest possible Tipperary team - the desire for a winning start. He admits that like most of his fellow inter-county managers new to their positions, an opening league victory would be a little more cherished than it would be for the more settled managers.

Sharing the new experiences this weekend will be opposing manager Mike McNamara (Offaly), as well as other Division One B managers Donal O'Grady (Cork), Dave Keane (Limerick), and John Conran (Wexford). Only Derry's Dominic McKinley holds his position of a year ago.

Similarly, Division One A has new managers in Paudie Butler (Laois), Conor Hayes (Galway) and Marty Morris (Dublin). Brian Cody (Kilkenny), Cyril Lyons (Clare) and Justin McCarthy (Waterford) held on to their positions for obvious reasons.

"I think what you will have this year is a lot more teams looking for winning starts," says Doyle, "primarily because they have new managers. And so you'll also have teams trying to win as many games as possible. We'll certainly be going out to win every game.

"I certainly believe that a team that has been winning in the league is harder to beat come the championship than, say, a team that has only ben playing so-so in the league."

The new league format, says Doyle, is also likely to add further interest this year. "Well it's sort of like a Champions League," he says, "where you play in one league and then go into another. Like everyone else we'll just take it as it comes and again go out to win as many games as possible."

For the time being Doyle has selected a panel of 30, including seven newcomers whom he intends to blood over the coming weeks. One player rumoured to be making a comeback was Paul Shelley, and while he did have one trial with the county he soon discovered that he was still a long way off intercounty fitness. "Most of the focus at the moment has been on physical training," says Doyle.

Playing against an Offaly team weakened by the absence of the Birr contingent may seem to many people to be an easy league ice-breaker, but Doyle expects otherwise. "We know Offaly will always be a dangerous team, even with or without the Birr players. They're well used to being written off, but we certainly won't be under-rating them in any way for Sunday."

The one area that Doyle will focus on over the coming weeks is what he calls "the more traditional aspects" of Tipperary hurling. "We want to improve our ground hurling, and try a more direct sort of hurling. But it's hard to do a whole lot of work on that this time of year, and you really have to wait until the grounds gets harder and you can get out on those long evenings. But sure those sort of days won't be long coming round now."