Ormonde quits Tipperary panel

Paul Ormonde has withdrawn from the Tipperary hurling panel, leaving manager 'Babs' Keating short another defender for Saturday's All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Cork.

The Loughmore-Castleiney defender informed Keating of his decision after Monday night's training session, and leaves the Tipp management with something of a defensive crisis on their hands as Diarmaid Fitzgerald and Paul Curran are both nursing injuries.

Ormonde, an All-Ireland winner with Tipp in 2001, is understood to have be disheartened by his failure to break into the Tipp side for any of their championship outings so far this summer. He sat out all three games against Limerick and the recent qualifiers against Offaly and Dublin.

Keating is set to announce his team for Saturday's final qualifier against Cork tonight with team captain Benny Dunne being earmarked for the left corner position, where he finished out the Premier county's two most recent matches - much to Ormonde's annoyance.