In limbo
By Shane Brophy
If a Munster Senior Hurling Championship whitewash and elimination wasn’t bad enough, Tipperary’s senior hurling year still might not be over.
Sunday’s crushing twelve-point loss to Cork at FBD Semple Stadium ended what slim hopes the Premier County had of reaching the All-Ireland Series with Cork progressing at the expense of both Tipperary and Waterford, whose quick fall from league champions to championship elimination is a bigger story than Tipp’s travails.
However, locally, a second winless Munster Championship round-robin campaign in three attempts is a huge concern, and there is a chance that Tipperary might not be in the 2023 Munster Championship. That is because Tipperary could have to play a relegation playoff in the coming weeks to retain their status.
Tipperary’s management and players are in limbo, having one eye on a game against Kerry that might not be required. They will only know for sure on Saturday week when Kerry take on Antrim in the MacDonagh Cup final at Croke Park. If Kerry were to win, they are, at the moment, required to play the bottom placed team in Munster on June 25th in a promotion/relegation playoff, which is Tipperary. It means Tipperary players and management have to train on for a spell, for a game that might not even happen.
“We didn’t really discuss anything like that,” said Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar in the immediate aftermath of their loss to Cork on Sunday.
“We didn’t even mention that, but I know that’s on the radar if Kerry can do something but, as I said, that’s for another day. We don’t want to be in this position.”
He added: “The Joe MacDonagh will be played in a couple of weeks, so we’ll have a better indication and no, at the moment, we haven’t made any plans. The players will need a rest, they’ve put in so much. They’ve given so much. They’re absolutely devastated inside there. It’s not the result we wanted.”
However, there is a growing swell of opinion locally and nationally that if Kerry were to win, they should be allowed into the Munster Championship as a sixth team, considering there are six teams in the Leinster Championship. If Kerry were to win the Tailteann Cup, there is likely to be an immediate call from them to be allowed the sixth team in Munster, and it is likely that Tipperary and Munster Council will back those calls.
Antrim, and their manager, Portroe’s Darren Gleeson, will have a lot of say about that yet, particularly as they will be favourites to win a second MacDonaghs Cup in three years, despite losing to Kerry in the final group game last weekend, although with a changed line-up as they had already qualified for the final.