As the list of intercounty retirements continues to stretch, each county is hoping that one of there own isn’t up next. At 33-year-of-age and with 14 years of senior intercounty experience behind him, Tipperary fans will be glad to know that their three-time All Star forward Lar Corbett looks set to stay on for at least another year.
On Monday Kilkenny's TJ Reid explained his surprise at receiving a text message from team mate Tommy Walsh explaining his retirement plans shortly before they were officially announced last week.
So, while Corbett has yet to receive any messages or hear any weighted rumours to date about any of his team mates, he’s hopeful that last year’s Tipperary panel will all stick together with their re-appointed manager Eamon O’Shea for the 2015 campaign.
‘Delighted’
“Eamon O’Shea staying on is definitely a positive and we’re all delighted that that man is still involved in Tipperary with us. The team wouldn’t be where it is now only for Eamon,” he said.
“You’d hope everyone stays on but that’s really up to the management there really and we’ll just have to see what happens.”
Defeated after a replay by Kilkenny in last September's All-Ireland final, Tipperary fans may sense a big year looming considering that over the past week Kilkenny have lost both Walsh and David Herity to retirement.
Within the space of five days Brian Cody’s team has lost 14 All-Ireland medals’ worth of experience.
Kilkenny conveyor belt
Yet, according to Corbett the departure of the two 31-year-olds will have little influence on the continued success of Kilkenny next year.
“I don’t think so, if you look at Kilkenny over the last 10 years, look at the team that started the 2000 All-Ireland final and look at the team now, it’s totally, totally changed.
“They’ve one or two players coming through every year which is a great addition for any team, so just because there’s one or two dropping off it at the top end it doesn’t change.
“You look at this year even and there’s always one or two ready to take their place. If you look at Kilkenny they have six, seven or eight All Stars every year, so there’s new lads coming in and that really makes a difference. It all just shows the strength and depth that they have.”
Sting of defeat
Nearly two months on from that All-Ireland final defeat, just three points between the teams after the replay, and a matter of inches denying victory in the initial drawn game, Corbett explains that he is finally over the sting of defeat.
“I suppose we were lucky enough that we went playing with the club the week after and that kind of just took the sting out of it.”
With the scores level in the drawn final, Tipperary had a free from 97 metres out with the last puck of the ball, but John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer’s effort was adjudged by Hawk-eye to have been ever so narrowly wide.
“I was also lucky enough to then go back and win the county final with Thurles Sarsfields and that was great, to go back to the club lads and to go back to represent them and actually win a county final - all these things helped.”
On a personal level, Corbett produced flashes of his undoubted class during last summer’s championship and particularly in the drawn game, not quite the three-goal heroics of 2010 but contributing nonetheless in an often deeper role.
Fresh from a few seasons plagued with injuries, was it a case of fit at last or a renewed love for the game?
“Well, yeah, I was injured for a lot of last year and a lot of this year and I suppose I’m delighted to have just played any part in Tipperary’s hurling this year.”
So with no indication of anything other than a return to the fold in 2015, Corbett will hope that perhaps a settled Tipperary team can join him and go that extra step next summer.
