2. Tipperary
Depth is the question for the reigning All-Ireland champions.
The Premier County have the quality upfront in Seamus Callanan, John McGrath and John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, and the industry in the half-forward line, but the supporting cast is made up of young players who may need more time to develop.
Tipp have finally moved on from defenders playing set positions to adopting a horses-for-courses approaching in terms of match-ups, and that delivered huge dividends at the sharp end of 2019.
In many ways, they can build on that and become more comfortable with being versatile. The battering by Limerick in last year’s Munster final forced Liam Sheedy to change approach, and it will be an interesting clash should the two counties collide in the provincial semi-final.
There’s little doubting that Tipperary have the quality to retain the All-Ireland, but history shows it has not been any easy task. Should be within a puck of the ball, win or lose.
