If you're going into battle you need warriors. People that will put their bodies on the line sometimes risking injury for the greater benefit.
There's no point in having people who talk a good game and then can't deliver when it matters.
Ryan O'Dwyer's retirement from the Dublin intercounty set up will deprive Pat Gilroy and Anthony Cunningham of someone who was all of the above.
We would like to wish Ryan O’Dwyer all the best following his retirement from inter-county Hurling! The gutsy forward played Senior Hurling with Dublin for the past 8 years and won a National League title in 2011 and a Leinster Championship in 2013. pic.twitter.com/diYR6tOTuc
— Kilmacud Crokes GAA (@KCrokesGAAClub) July 4, 2018
"Even though we've had some bad times, the good times overshadow all of them." said Ryan following his departure.
A native of Cashel, Co Tipperary, Ryan declared for the Dubs ahead of the 2011 season when Anthony Daly was in charge having represented the Premier up to senior level experiencing National League and Munster success in 2008.
The Cashel man played a key role in a hugely successful era for the capital's hurlers, winning a Walsh Cup, an Allianz Hurling Division 1 title and, most memorably, the Leinster SHC in 2013.
The fact that he played to 31 was even miraculous given that he suffered a serious assault four years ago that left him with a brain injury.
The Kilmacud Crokes club man was the victim of a serious assault in Birmingham in 2015 which left him with a broken jaw, fractured skull and bleeding on the brain following the incident.
The fact that he battled back to force his place into the team after all of that underlines his warrior spirit.
Enjoy the winter Ryan and in the words of former All Ireland winning Dublin captain Bryan Cullen - see you in Coppers!
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
