“He’s better than a full back” – Maher changing the meaning of number three

Niall McIntyre

Full back. A specialist, restrictive position they say.

‘It would be a shame to put a lad like him back there, you’ll lose so much out the field.’

They said it about Padraig Walsh. They say it about Ronan Maher too.

Number threes are said to be sacrificing their own game. Are meant to be stopping rather than shining. Held back rather than let loose. A spoiler rather than a star.

In that case, Ronan Maher has not read the hand-book. Has turned a blind eye to it all. Win the ball and drive out is his game and he’s not going to change it here. Three is a number you see, not a road-block.

Sacrificing? You’re having a laugh. Beating, bolstering, pile-driving, now you’re talking.

Because rather than offering up his own game like he’s for some strange reason complied to do, the Thurles Sarsfields club man does the complete opposite.

He takes over the game. Any game. Plays himself from the edge of his sqaure into the heart of it all and he does so just like he did when he was out the country at five or eight. Sprinting out with the ball in hand.

Tell you a little story.

The Tipperary senior hurling quarter final looked done and dusted last year with Thurles Sarsfields down by two in injury time. Desperation station. Do the things you can only dream of doing.

Some dream it was.

They decided to throw their most gifted player up to full forward and hoped for the best. Fantasy land. Kilruane MacDonaghs were in for the worst.

Over no less a man than Seamus Hennessy, one of the finest club hurlers in Tipperary, Maher took a leap. He came down with ball in hand before top-spinning into the net.

Something incredible.

What a finish from Ronan Maher! @thurlessars @TipperaryGAA @TippFMSport @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/nFktkHbOhL

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 2, 2018

It’s not something you’d associate with a full back but Maher is not a full back you’d associate with the preconceptions.

He took centre stage last Sunday, on the biggest stage of all. Tipperary had a problem and he was the man to step in. Colin Fennelly was nullified, Maher did more than just that.

Far from the back-seat, he led his county from the front with a gung-ho display of guts, pace, skill and bravery. A problem no more. Within an hour, Tipperary’s last line changed from its Achilles heel to its fount of all things sure and certain.

Down he landed with the skies ruled. Out he came with ball after ball. Tipperary’s full back line was the platform for all the beautiful things that go on up the field.

On The GAA Hour, the lads discussed Maher’s ability to make full back position a springboard rather than a hindrance.

“I just think Ronan Maher was really strong right throughout the game. Because it was such a difficult position for Tipperary to solve over the last number of years too, I’d give him performance of the weekend,” said Cheddar.

“You’d have to give Ronan Maher a lot of credit,” says Wooly, “because he’s better than a full back. I don’t mean to be disrespectful to full backs but he could do a job in midfield, he can take sidelines, he can score. He’s sacrificing a lot of his qualities to play that role…”

Maher can do it all without sacrificing a thing, as his points against Wexford showed.

Brian Carroll reckons he’s there for life. Don’t think Ronan Maher will mind too much.

“I think he’s solved that spot for Tipperary and I think he’ll stay there for a number of years.”