Two-time All-Ireland winning defender Paddy Stapleton has paid tribute to his retiring former teammate Pádraic Maher, who he describes as "irreplaceable".
"He is irreplaceable," Stapleton told RTE Sport, "and the real heartbreak here is that he can’t go back and play with his club because of the neck injury."
Stapleton himself retired from the inter-county game after a decorated career with two celtic crosses and six Munster medals.
He soldiered alongside and behind Maher for several seasons in the Tipp defence and though he was older than the Thurles Sarsfields giant, Stapleton says he looked up to him from the start.
"When I went from the inter-county scene, I at least got to go back and give everything with my club and that’s the real pity for Paudie.
"But he leaves the game as a superhuman. His loss won’t be felt by just Tipp people – but hurling people in general. We talk about Brian Whelahan, Tommy Walsh and JJ (Delaney) as the great defenders, but Paudie is there too.
"I’m in shock here. The news is actually shocking for the game in general, not just us in Tipp. I think back to 2009 when he burst through and there are thousands of hurling supporters out there who don’t know hurling without Paudie Maher. And the game will be all the worse for not having him."
Stapleton still clearly remembers the first night he came across the Thurles Sars star.
"We were in Dr Morris Park training early in 2009 and he was there training with a cast on his wrist. I knew then he had something special. I think in an internal game he threw Lar Corbett out of his way and caught the ball. I remember thinking on the way into the dressing room that was one position in the backs one already. All of this was just after one training session! He was just mad for hurling."
Stapleton, who is still playing at the top level for Borris-lleigh, says he was a quiet youngster initially but developed his leadership as time went on.
"Even while he was still playing U-21 with Tipp, I was looking up to him and I was three or four years older than him. As time went on, he became more vocal even though he never said too – he just said it at the right time.
"The biggest thing here, and you’ll have to excuse me if I get a bit distracted because I’m shook at the news, but it just didn’t matter who we played – he delivered an eight or nine out of ten every day.
"That could be either against the likes of Kilkenny who went long with the ball or against Cork who liked short passing – he always stood out no matter who the opponents were.
"If Paudie Maher had a tough day in office – and you could count them on one hand – it was talked about for ages afterwards.
"That was so seldom it became a massive talking point in the county. The truth is he was hitting full marks most days, scoring points from the backs long before it was in vogue, and that was hardly even discussed because it was what we came to expect from him."
Stapleton says the Tipp squad of 2022 will have to drive the ship on now without Maher’s colossal influence and lofty standards.
"They will. Lads know it is up to them now.
"You’d be back thinking about how United did when Roy Keane went and maybe now some of the younger lads will drive through.
"Maybe it does take the likes of Brendan (Maher) and Paudie to step away for others to come through, but that is a huge ask and as a Tipp man I am asking questions like everyone else about that.
"There are huge questions to be answered there now. In order for Tipp to win we cannot still rely on Bonner (Maher), Seamie (Callanan) and Noel (McGrath). We need youth to come through. Every team needs it. The ball is in their court now."
