Former Tipperary star Noel McGrath says he “the prize is massive” in this afternoon’s All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers preliminary round between Antrim and Laois.

The two sides cross swords at Parnell Park (throw-in 2.30pm), where the losers will be demoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup while the winners will reach the first round of the qualifiers.

"I just feel the prize is massive,” McGrath told RTE’s Game on. “You stay in the Liam MacCarthy first and foremost but you're also going into a win-win situation next in round one of the qualifiers proper because Antrim or Laois aren't going to be expected to beat whoever they meet," he said.

"So, it's massive to stay in Liam MacCarthy and then get another top-level match before your year finishes up. The loser then goes down to Joe McDonagh and if that is Laois it's demoralising for them because they're already in a league relegation which they'll probably have to play some time in August.

"It's a massive, massive prize but the great thing is it's the first real knockout championship match of the year, so we're definitely going to see an extra bit of bite, an extra bit of passion from the other games where teams knew if they lost, they were still going to be in it. This is knockout and the prize is massive."

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