by John Fallon

Versatile Tipperary hurler Cathal Barrett said he doesn't matter where he lines out on the field and he is just delighted to be back playing.

The 24-year old was dropped from the squad last summer following the Munster quarter-final loss to Cork but was recalled over the winter.

The Holycross-Ballycahill clubman won an All-Star as a corner-back when helping Tipperary to win the 2016 All-Ireland title but he has been operating at midfield since his recall.

His first game in his new role came in January in a 1-26 to 0-12 challenge match win over Dublin and the two sides will clash in the league quarter-final at Parnell Park on Sunday.

"All I want to be doing is hurling. It doesn't matter where you are playing, whether you are playing corner-back or in midfield, or corner-forward, so long as you are hurling. That's all you want to do.
"We played Dublin in a challenge a few weeks ago. Dublin will always bring a bit of physicality and a bit of fight.

"At the end of the day it's the quarter-final hurling. It's knockout hurling so it's going to be a tough match no matter who you are playing

"We could have been going down playing in the relegation but we are on the other side of it."

His return to the Tipperary side was disrupted in recent weeks by injury but he has learned how to handle recovery.

"Happy enough just to get back on the field. Taking every game as I can, every training session as I can. I had one or two little niggles. There is no point pushing beyond the limits. I am delighted to be back on the field.
"Originally it was just a little tweak in my groin. And then it went over to the other side in the hamstring. It's only small little niggles but there is no point risking it and risking being out for a couple of months.

"It is so competitive. There is no point missing training or missing matches just for the sake of one or two games," he added.

Barrett crowned another top class display in the middle of the field with two points from distance in Sunday's 1-24 to 1-21 win over Cork at Semple Stadium.

And he knows that the further they progress in the league the better shape they will be in for the new championship structure.

"The more games you are playing, that's where you want to be. You don't want to be going out in the middle of March.

"You want to be playing as long as you can. More matches, less training, that's it."

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