As Bennettsbridge prepares for their St Canice’s Credit Union Kilkenny Senior Championship quarter-final clash with Tullaroan next weekend, Tim Dooley has shed light on the reasoning behind their unusually large panel.
Speaking to KCLR after Bennetsbridge’s victory over Clara last weekend, Dooley explained that the team’s commitment to training under coach Dan Shanahan involves as many as 41 players.
“In fairness to Dan, we train everyone that wants to come onto the pitch,” Dooley said. “We don’t tog them all out—we tog out 28. But we name them all because they’ve been there all year, and they do water and the balls. They’re working as hard as the 28 on the panel.”
The decision to involve such a large group is seen as a way of maintaining morale and ensuring that every player contributes to the team’s success, even if they aren’t all named on the matchday squad.
Bennetsbridge will hope that their inclusive approach pays off as they aim for a strong showing against Tullaroan in the quarter-final.
For more analysis on the Kilkenny Championship, you can listen to the full interview on the KCLR Hurling Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
