Tipp final saga proves club players again second best

The reason behind the Tipperary football final replay moving from next Sunday to St Stephen’s Day? A number of the players involved are flying out on county team holidays this weekend.

The likes of Noel McGrath will be among those heading away on a well-earned break on Saturday but the optics of the replay rescheduling don’t look good for a board which has already prioritised its inter-county team over club players and suffered the consequences of a lack of representation in Munster.

Regardless of the game being brought forward, that a replay was stipulated for Sunday’s drawn game took the biscuit. Asking grassroots players to virtually cancel Christmas is the latest blow to club players in Tipperary.