Lar Corbett admits Cian O'Neill's decision to step down as Tipperary hurling trainer is a big blow to the Premier County.

The Kildare native spent four years in the role, during which Tipp won three Munster championships, a National League and an All-Ireland in 2010, and he is now poised to link up with the Mayo footballers.

"Cian O'Neill is a serious physical trainer, he did a super job," Corbett said yesterday.

"He got us in the condition that we are in today and you don't need me to say that. The facts are there to prove that, Tipperary have come a long way since Cian O'Neill got involved.

"I know that he's going to Mayo and probably doing a different role with Mayo, but he was super to the Tipp set-up. I'd like to wish him the best of luck but Tipperary will be sad to see him go.

"I would have had an awful lot problems with my hamstrings. People in Tipperary back five years ago would have said a lot of it is in his head but wherever it was it got sorted in the last four years. I definitely put a lot of that down to Cian O'Neill and John Casey (physio). I owe a lot to them."