Clare
All-Ireland titles: 4
Manager: Brian Lohan
Captain: Tony Kelly
Insight: Last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kilkenny was a bitter pill to swallow, and they have fallen flat for periods during big league outings this year against Limerick and Galway. On the plus side, Aidan McCarthy and Mark Rodgers are back, and no team has pushed the Treaty harder in recent seasons.
Cork
All-Ireland titles: 30
Manager: Pat Ryan
Captain: Niall O’Leary
Insight: Kieran Kingston’s second spell has made way for the much-touted Pat Ryan to take over. Under-20 success and the players that came from it suggest Cork are building, but it has felt that way many times over recent seasons. Should their injury issues clear up, they can recover from a dispiriting league semi-final loss in Kilkenny. Too often, big occasions have smothered them, though at least this year they have been winning tight games.
Limerick
All-Ireland titles: 11
Manager: John Kiely
Captain: Declan Hannon
Insight: The juggernaut. Simple as.
Tipperary
All-Ireland titles: 28
Manager: Liam Cahill
Captain: Noel McGrath
Insight: Tipperary have had three shocking seasons since last winning the All-Ireland in 2019 and have only this season given some of the underage winners from 2018-19 a real chance to take over. Liam Cahill will be targeting an All-Ireland in year one but constant performances and a top-three Munster finish would represent an impressive about-turn in fortunes.
Waterford
All-Ireland titles: 2
Manager: Davy Fitzgerald
Captain: Jamie Barron and Stephen Bennett
Insight: As is the case with many teams, injuries have been mounting up but there is still a lot of class in Deise-land. Stephen Bennett and Dessie Hutchinson have had big highs in recent season, Austin Gleeson and Calum Lyons are outrageous talent, while Tadhg de Burca and Conor Prunty provide a solid defensive spine. Should Davy Fitzgerald get the right blend of tactics and intensity, Waterford will be hard to keep down.
