John McIntyre expects Sunday's Allianz Hurling League final to be a high-scoring affair.

McIntyre, who played for Tipp before going on to manage Galway and Offaly, believes the Galway attack is every bit as potent as that of the All-Ireland champions.

"We saw what Tipp were capable of against Wexford; if you stand off their forward line you're asking for trouble but the same applies for Galway. Cooney, Mannion, Whelan and Canning will do damage if you give them time and space. This could be a shoot-out," he said in the Irish Independent.

"A lot of people will be looking at it with interest because if Tipperary do a number on Galway, the general view that Tipp are well ahead of the rest will be given credence. If Galway are close to them at the finish or pull off a victory, then suddenly the championship is blown open."

McIntyre is expecting a big performance from Micheal Donoghue's charges, adding: "The big occasion doesn't faze Galway anymore. Over the years they have been accused of having a soft centre, lacking leaders when the pressure comes on and being deficient when it comes to bottle but no team turns that deficit around against Waterford unless they have an inner steel.

"That result and the manner which they pulled it out of the fire has already turned around their season and they'll be going all guns blazing on Sunday, there will be no hiding place against the best. With both teams lining up in orthodox fashion, they'll go at it from the start.

"That explains why they're so evenly matched and it's difficult for defences when they play because it's man-to-man marking at the back and it's wide open at times. Both sets of forwards tend to do damage and Sunday will be no different, it'll be a free-wheeling type of game which both teams are desperately keen to win for different reasons."

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