League form has Tipp expecting

GIVEN the parlous nature of trying to predict a championship win for the Tipperary footballers these last five years, it’s difficult to justify the level of expectation being attached to them before tomorrow’s Munster SFC opener in Semple Stadium.

Since their victory over Waterford this weekend six years ago, Tipperary haven’t managed to win a single Munster championship match and their record in the qualifiers, losing seven of the eight games they’ve had since their introduction eight years ago, is equally dismal.

The obvious reason for such expectation is promotion in successive seasons of the national league. Little wonder then that Tipperary manager, John Evans, chose during the week to propose Fermanagh’s recent win against Down as irrefutable evidence that league and championship form simply doesn’t correlate.