Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
MUNSTER SHC
‘The loser here could be in a better position’
5/6
WATERFORD v TIPPERARY
Tonight (6pm): Walsh Park, J Owens (Wexford)
Charge HOME DRAW VERDICT: GAAGO
THIS ONE is all about the mentality of both sides.
Chie y how Tipperary recover from their drubbing by Limerick six days ago, and then Waterford’s reaction to a rare Munster round robin win over Cork.
Waterford beat Tipperary in the nal round of the group stages last year, so they certainly won’t lack belief.
They look to have their mojo back and there’s no word of the absent Austin Gleeson any more.
Jamie Barron led the charge the last day, scoring a goal from the rst attack, and
nishing with 1-3 as he showed form akin to his best years (2016/17) when he won two of his three All Stars.
The redoubtable Tadhg de Burca was back at number six
8/1 Waterford after years of injury hell, and the likes of Jack Prendergast and Calum Lyons fronted up.
Manager Liam Cahill has promised changes from the side that fell so disappointingly meekly to Limerick.
But he has issues all over the eld, with number six and mid eld problem spots.
David Reidy caused havoc last week.
Up front they managed just ve points from play and if Waterford put a clamp on Jake Morris’ goal threat, it’s hard to know where Tipp will get the scores from.
Waterford, at home for the second week in a row, will smell blood, but expect the likes of Noel Mcgrath, ‘Bonner’ Maher and Alan Tynan to front up for Tipp with their season hanging in the balance.
But will enough of the others follow for the visitors to get a result here?
AWAY CONNACHT was once seen as the forgotten province.
And it may well be the case that the West’s Asleep again! All of the Connacht teams had tame Championship runs in 2023.
In this year’s League, outside of a decent effort from Mayo — which is common enough with them — the noise has been around Dublin, Kerry, Derry and Donegal.
Galway have been dealing with injuries to key players and got away with daylight robbery in their last Connacht semi-final win over Sligo.
Thriller
As for the other semi-final, that is time I will never get back. A total snoozefest — and its dullness was highlighted even more as a thriller between Tyrone and Cavan was going on at the same time.
Following the Sam Maguire group draws on Tuesday, the
Connacht final takes on a different hue.
Before the draws, I would have had tomorrow as a ‘Judgement Day’ for both Padraic Joyce and Kevin Mcstay.
Joyce seems to have lost the aura and momentum he had when he first came into the job and you do get the impression his time with Galway could draw to a subdued end if they don’t make an Allsemi-final, Ireland at last.
Mcstay knows that he will ultimately be judged on Championship form, despite having two good League campaigns, last year and this year.
After the Championship draws, though, there’s a strong case for the loser of this game being in a better position for an All-ireland tilt.
A second-place nish behind Dublin looks more likely with Roscommon and Cavan to contend with — rather than an Armagh/ Donegal and an angry and rested Derry.
Roscommon remind me a bit of Kildare — and that isn’t good. They aren’t playing with any con dence at all. Cavan without Paddy Lynch will be a much easier proposition.
So it’s a case for both Galway and Mayo that both are damned if they do and don’t in this one, which should take the heat of the battle from it.
Injuries
And with players from all counties dropping like ies at the moment with injuries — due to the madly condensed season — we might even nd that both managers don’t risk key players in this one.
On the rest of the draws, the fact that Armagh or Donegal, with the Anglo Celt in their possession, will have my own Tyrone lying in the grass