Shane McGrath believes the introduction of emerging panel members will give Tipperary a lift as they prepare for the Allianz Hurling League but adds that there is urgency to get off to a winning start after they were upset by Kerry in the Munster Hurling Cup semi-finals last month.
Colm Bonnar's side open their Division 1 campaign against Laois on Saturday at the end of a week which saw the highly decorated All-Ireland winner Pádraic Maher announce his retirement at 32.
Ex-Tipperary 2010 All-Ireland winner McGrath and Ryan O'Dwyer joined RTÉ's Game On to look ahead to the league's opening weekend and the former pointed to fringe players within the Premier County panel who can make an impact in the lead-up to the championship.
"There's no point in trying to say you're going to replace Pádraic Maher because he's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, defender maybe Tipp have ever had," said McGrath.
"But to be fair to Colm Bonnar, what he's tried to do is give lads who haven't got a go the last few years, he's going to give them a go.
"Denis Maher is getting rewarded for a great club season and no more so than Conor Lehane is down in Cork.
"Mark Kehoe is starting at full-forward. He was really lifting last year for Tipp and was very unlucky not to make the team.
"You've new guys, the likes of James Quigley, Cathal Barrett is starting at corner back so that's good experience. Séamus Kennedy in the half-back line and Michael Breen and Alan Flynn in midfield, so they still have a lot of the well-known names there but I suppose what are Tipp looking for this year?
"They are looking to hit the ground running. Tipp is a very proud hurling county and with all due respect to Kerry and Laois, if Colm Bonnar's first two games were a loss to Kerry and a loss to Laois, he's under massive pressure for round two playing Kilkenny in Semple Stadium. They're going to massively want to win this game (against Laois) and they'll be really hungry for it and they know that if they don't get a victory, there's going to be massive pressure on the group from outside."
There will also be plenty of intrigue around Galway to see what impact Kilkenny legend Henry Shefflin will have in his first inter-county management role and he has tried out a vast number of players in the lead-up to the league.
"Shefflin doesn't want to leave any stone unturned and I think he's taken a leaf out of (Brian) Cody's book," said O'Dwyer.
"Throughout the league, I'll reckon he'll take a leaf out of Cody's book by trying players and getting it right for the championship."
While the league looms, it was a week which saw two All-Ireland winners call time on their respetive careers with the retirement of Maher followed by Clare's 2013 Liam MacCarthy Cup winner Colm Galvin, both due to injury.
"(Colm's) 29 and we had Pádraic during the week, and we had Harry Kehoe recently as well with Wexford," McGrath said.
"I suppose for Colm and Pádraic in particular, it's one thing walking away from sport (when) it's your own decision but when it's taken away from you because of injury and you have to walk away, especially the likes of Colm Galvin and Pádraic Maher, these guys are so ultra-professional and played at the top of their games, both have All-Ireland medals and All-Stars so it's very difficult.
"It's a hard decision make but we have to think about life outside of sport as well"
"And the thing from Clare's point of view is I think there's only five lads remaining from that 2013 team. You've John Conlon, Tony Kelly, David (McInerney), Patrick O'Connor and Shane O'Donnell.
"They're a new team now but you don't have many guys with experience of winning All-Irelands left, but it's nine or ten seasons ago now all the same.
"It's hard going. It just shows you the wear and tear on the body of inter-county and some guys are lucky. Touch wood, I was lucky myself to avoid it. But for some guys, it's just hard to shake off.
"We have to realise that all these guys want to be able to get up off a couch. It's a hard decision make but we have to think about life outside of sport as well."
Listen to Cork v Clare in the Allianz Hurling League live on Saturday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1. Watch Kerry v Dublin in the Allianz Football League live on RTÉ 2 on Saturday (7pm), follow all the football and hurling action with our live blogs on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app, and watch highlights on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 at 9.30pm.
