Noel McGrath ready for action as league kicks off

There aren’t many 25-year-olds who can talk about their playing career pre- and post-cancer, especially not as openly as Noel McGrath can. Although by now, McGrath is far happier to talk about the post-cancer part.

In some ways his career will always be defined by the illness he was faced with last April, when a sudden yet fortunately early diagnosis of testicular cancer forced him to withdraw from the Tipperary hurling panel for the foreseeable future. Then, defying most expectations, McGrath was suddenly back, coming off the bench and scoring a typically wondrous point in the narrow All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway.

He’s not yet sure if he’s back to his “100 per cent best”, although, speaking at the launch of the Allianz Hurling League, McGrath says he certainly feels ready to play some part in Tipperary’s opening match against Dublin in Thurles on Saturday.

“I did miss a lot of last year, a lot of tough training, so I’m still trying to build myself back to full fitness, to fit in with the team again,” he says. “So it’s hard to know. I’d like to think I’m back up to speed with the rest of them, but time will tell.

“I’m just looking forward to the challenge ahead, having missed nearly all of last year. I’m mad for games, and will be pushing myself as hard as I can to make the 26 for match day, and everyone is in the same boat.”

New Tipperary manager and former selector Michael Ryan will certainly be happy to have McGrath back to best (especially with Seamus Callanan an injury doubt for the Dublin game). A two-time All Star, and part of Tipp’s 2010 All-Ireland winning team, McGrath is one of few hurlers from any county to win All-Irelands at senior, under-21 and minor levels.

Different perspective

He admits the illness has given him a slightly different perspective on the game, if not life itself.

After undergoing successful treatment for his cancer, he has since spoken openly about the need for a greater awareness of the disease, supporting both the Movember Foundation and, through the Gaelic Players Association, the Childhood Cancer Foundation.

“I suppose last April, I wasn’t sure what was going to come of it, where I was going to be, if or when I’d ever get back playing,” he says. “And I’m just delighted that I am back. But people have been out for longer than me with different types of injuries, broken arms or broken legs or bad injuries like that, and spent a lot of time away from the game.

“I’m just looking forward to getting this year going, getting back to normality. I got some great support and people have been really good to me, and I really appreciate that. But I suppose I’m 25 years of age now and you don’t realise how quick your career goes. So now it’s all about being back playing, hoping Tipp can be successful again in 2016.”

Usual banter

McGrath also admits that his initial return to the Tipp panel was helped by the fact no one treated him any differently: there were no awkward silences or overly emotional embraces, just the usual banter he wanted and expected inside the dressing room.

“You’d rather have it that way, rather than lads tip-toeing around, thinking you’re someone different. We all just had a goal to train and play, and the lads knew that I was coming back in to try and help that as well. It’s still the same now. You just have to fit back in and help the team and the management as much as you can.”

He didn’t feel any different either when making that seemingly heroic appearance off the bench last August, nor was the feeling of defeat any less sinking.

I’d given eight, nine weeks training, knowing I wouldn’t be ready for a Munster final, but hopefully, if Tipp got over it, I might get back. But I hadn’t given any thought to what might happen.

“It was more afterwards I kind of realised what was after happening. I was kind of stuck in the moment, wanting to play and wanting to get Tipp over the line. It wasn’t for the few days after it that I really realised what happened when I came on, and the cheer and the support I got was brilliant.

Disappointing

“But no matter what, losing an All-Ireland semi-final by a point is very disappointing. You are in the dressing room and lads are just gutted. All you are thinking about is was there anything you could have done differently on the field that could have changed it, or made that small difference that would have won it.

“In the weeks and months afterwards, to look back and be able to say that I was playing in Croke Park only a few months after the illness was good. But still that hurt and that feeling of not getting over the line was still there.”

And so now, the post-cancer career begins in earnest.