Quinlivan opts out as Tipp start afresh

By Shane Brophy

LIMERICK v TIPPERARY

Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale

Sunday 9th January

Throw-in @ 2.00pm

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare)

Off the back of a difficult 2021, Tipperary will hope to get the new Gaelic Football year off to a winning start when they take on Limerick in the McGrath Cup on Sunday.

Tipperary lost four of their five competitive games in a shortened 2021 campaign, including relegation to division 4 for the first time since 2014.

For all the progress Tipperary football has made over the last decade or so, to be back down in the basement division is a big blow and getting themselves out of it at the first time of asking will be a target for the year ahead.

Limerick have proven to be a real bogey team for Tipperary in recent years, beating them in the 2019 championship, and handed David Power’s charges their first defeat in 2021 in the first round of division 3 of the National League, which set the tone for a campaign that struggled to ignite.

Certainly, 2022 will be as much about rebuilding as it will be about re-sparking the fire. The retirement of Brian Fox in the odd-season robs Tipperary of an experienced campaigner, with captain Conor Sweeney also unavailable this Sunday as he lines out for Skeheenarinky in the Munster Club Junior Hurling final.

On top of that, 2016 All-Star Michael Quinlivan, Emmet Moloney and Pauric Looram won’t be part of this year’s senior panel due to a combination of work and travel commitments.

However, this might prove to be a good thing as new players need to step up and take the lead roles and the manner of the performances of the under 20’s last year should see some of them coming to the fore, particularly the likes of Sean O’Connor.

The unfortunate aspect of Ballina’s continued run in the Munster Club Football Championship is the management are unable to get a look at the likes of Eoghan Power, in games such as these, and the subsequent clash with Kerry next Wednesday night, instead of having to blood them in the dog-eat-dog nature of division four football where results are needed.

With Covid ravaging the country, Tipperary manager David Power was unable to confirm who he will have available with a number of players in isolation, and it will be a case of a team being confirmed on Sunday morning on route to Rathkeale.