Tyrone hurlers bid for Nickey Rackard Cup glory

MORE glory is now within reach of the Tyrone hurlers who are aiming to finish their memorable 2022 season in the perfect way at Croke Park on Saturday.

Their second consecutive Nickey Rackard Cup final sees them bid to turn the tables on Roscommon. Victory would see them complete the league and championship double, as well as setting them up perfectly for the bigger challenges lying ahead in 2023.

It’s the county’s sixth appearance in a Croke Park showpiece during the past decade. But they will have to be on top form to account for their Connacht opponents who defeated them comprehensively in the competition just a few weeks ago.

The Red Hands can, though, call upon a whole host of quality stars with the potential to make their mark. Team manager, Michael McShane, is under no illusions about the task facing them as they bid to erase the disappointment of last year’s losing final appearance against Mayo.

“Being back in the final is one thing and winning it is something else. Last year we felt very disappointed in our performance against a very good Mayo team because we didn’t perform to the level that we could and wanted to,” he said.

“One of the things that we all agreed on in the changing room in Croke Park after that was that we would come back and make amends. We’ve gone a good bit of that journey, but the biggest part is still to be done.

“Roscommon are a very good team. They’ve come down from the Christy Ring last year and have been playing at a level above Tyrone for the past four or five years. We saw in Dr Hyde Park two weeks ago just how good they are.

“But we’re a good team too and have great confidence in our own ability. We were very disappointed with our performance the last day against Roscommon, so we want to improve on that but are under no illusions about the size of the task.

“Tyrone will go there and try and put the right performance together. If that’s good enough for us to win then great, and if it’s not then there’s nothing more that we can do.”

Last year’s final is still vivid in the memories of the players and management. But, as Michael McShane explains, the day is one that they will have learned from and he is intent on maintaining the momentum that the side has enjoyed since the beginning of 2021.

“The fact that we’ve played a final in Croke Park and got that experience of the journey down Jones’ Road which makes the difference. But on your first appearance in Croke Park there’s always that element of being something of a tourist.

“I watched the players last year on the pitch taking selfies and videos and it was very understandable. But this year’s we’ll be focused on the business end of things. We’re down there to play 70 minutes of hurling and win a final and that’s the only thing that will be in our heads.

“I think we have improved and evolved a lot since last year. You have to remember that last year was very condensed because of Covid. But we’ve had a longer period working together and tactically, technically and physically we’ve definitely improved this season.”

Now all that will be put to the test for the Tyrone hurlers as they aim to win a second Nickey Rackard title and with it the perfect end to a 2022 season that has seen them make an impressive mark.