Former Tipperary star Shane McGrath believes Cork cannot afford to lose to Tipp in the teams’ crunch Allianz League showdown this weekend.

Both sides have taken maximum points from their first two outings in Division 1A thus far this season and are set to meet at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening (7.30pm) in what will be their first clash since last July’s All-Ireland SHC final.

Writing in his column for RTE Sport this week, McGrath believes that there’s more pressure on Ben O’Connor's men than the Liam MacCarthy Cup holders this weekend.

“This is my take on it: Tipp don’t have to win, but Cork cannot afford to lose. The reasons are as plain as day, I don’t need to outline them,” the two-time All-Star wrote.

“No motivation will be or should be required this week from (Ben) O’Connor. Even if he gathered them in a circle in the dressing room pre game, gave each and every player that death stare which he has - and I love by the way - and simply uttered the words, ‘Let’s go’, that alone should be enough for doors to be blown off the hinges.

“If you are in a Cork top and you need extra motivation to play this game, it’s best to just hand back the gear and say ‘this isn’t for me’. The Cork players have been waiting for this opportunity since around 5pm on 20 July, 2025.”

Tweet

Most Read Stories