Tipp favoured to retain senior status

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary are heading down a familiar route as they prepare to face Laois in a relegation semi-final in the All-Ireland Senior Championship this Saturday in Callan at 2.00pm.

This is Tipperary’s fourth year in row hovering over the trapdoor but having survived on three occasions, they know the pressure and how to deal with it.

In 2021 they got the better of Tyrone to stay up while a year later they went to Kingspan Breffni and got the better of Cavan, while last year they eclipsed Waterford to retain their senior status.

Tipperary have improved this year under manager Peter Creedon and were mightily unlucky not to be playing in a quarter final proper this weekend having drawn with Armagh and lost narrowly to Meath in their group. This was after stellar performances in Munster against both Waterford and Cork.

The Premier will be favourites to get the better of Laois as the Leinster side have really struggled in the championship, being resoundingly beaten in all their games.

The sides did meet in division 2 of the National League early in the year with Tipp emerging winners and will be expected to do so again.

The winner of this game will secure their senior status for another year while the loser will have one last opportunity to save themselves against either Donegal or Kildare who meet in the other semi-final.

On paper, this is Tipp’s easiest chance of staying up and they should have too much to avoid the upset.