Tipp need to be wary of Deise shock factor

GAA: Munster Senior Football Championship Quarter Final Preview

By Shane Brophy

TIPPERARY v WATERFORD

FBD Semple Stadium

Sunday, 9th April

Throw-in @ 2.00pm (ET & Pens)

Referee: James Molloy (Galway)

Tipperary have the opportunity to get a much-needed boost in confidence if they were to get the better of Waterford in the Munster Senior Football Championship quarter final on Sunday.

The prize for Tipperary, if they were to be successful, is the pleasure of taking on All-Ireland champions Kerry in Killarney on April 22nd, and while that might not appear appetising at a competitive standpoint at the moment, to set that up it means Tipp will have secured their first win in nine competitive games.

Indeed, Waterford are the only team Tipperary have beaten in their last thirteen competitive games going back to April 2022, the corresponding Munster quarter final in Dungarvan last year before the McGrath Cup opener on the Gold Coast in January.

Since the latter, things haven’t been easy for Tipperary, shorn a lot of experience from the high of the 2020 Munster Final victory through player retirements or players travelling abroad.

If that wasn’t difficult enough, to lose captain Conor Sweeney for the season in the first league game against Down not only cost Tipp their best forward and player, but they also lost their spiritual leader from the dressing room. With Steven O’Brien unable to fill that void having missed the last five league games through injury, it has been a tough campaign for Tipperary who haven’t found scoring easy, with fourteen points their highest total, managing just three goals, none in the last four games.

They will be boosted by the availability of Steven O’Brien who has recovered from a hamstring injury. His Ballina clubmate Teddy Doyle, who was forced off against Offaly through injury, is also available.

However, the game will come too soon for midfielder Conal Kennedy who has missed the entire league with a leg issue while Dean Carew and Paul Maher are also ruled out.

Tipperary’s struggles this year are matched by Waterford who finished second from bottom in division 4, managing just one win, that coming against London. However, they will feel Tipperary are ripe for an upset as Ephie Fitzgerald’s charges have absolutely nothing to lose. The longer they stay with Tipperary on Sunday, the more nervous David Power’s charges will get so a quick start out of the blocks and taking some risks with help the premier county’s chances of getting the win and giving them some momentum for the games ahead, whether it be a Munster semi-final or through the Tailteann Cup, the latter would be most suitable from a development point of view for Tipperary this year.