PM O'Sullivan: Noel McGrath pulled strings like a Roald Dahl character, expressionless and lethal

McGrath orchestrated matters from his starting-berth on the 40.

FULCRUM: Noel McGrath of Tipperary. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Kilkenny and Tipperary will always be hotter than February.

The word on punditry’s street claims league action is nearly irrelevant. Maybe so but certain factors endure in whatever context. These two counties use each other as measurement. For both parties, the guiding conviction stands straightforward: if a player can hack this dynamic, he can hack all the furlongs to Croke Park.