Keating believes Cork stalwarts are slipping

TIPPERARY'S IMPRESSIVE win over Cork at the weekend has posed questions about both teams: the extent to which Tipp are on the way back to the big time and more acutely, whether time is up for the Cork team that has won two All-Irelands this decade and appeared in another two finals.

One interested spectator at the match was former Tipperary All-Ireland winning player and manager Michael Keating who managed the team last year to an even more surprising win over Cork in the qualifiers at Thurles.

"I think it's the end of the road for the team," he said. "Some of the players were slipping before yesterday's performances and despite how well Seán Óg and the others played the Cork half backs weren't the engine of the team that they once were.

"In the past Cork often got five or six points from them, which was like having extra forwards - the same as Seán McMahon at his best with Clare was like an extra forward.

"I fear for Cork because I've watched a lot of minor and under-21 games over the past couple of years and haven't seen any prospects coming through to replace the great players on the current team."

He thinks his own county would benefit from a more physical focus at centre forward. "Young (Séamus) Callinan is very skilful and has come through from the minors and played very well on Sunday but I think he's more of wing forward than a centre forward and I think we could do with an old-style centre forward on the 40 to break up play."

Keating believes that All-Ireland champions Kilkenny are still the front-runners when they take the field on Sunday to play Offaly but he says there are still a couple of flickering shadows over Brian Cody's team.

"The main problem for Kilkenny in my mind is that they're not getting goals as fluently as they used to when DJ (Carey) was still playing for them.

"One other thing about Kilkenny is that they have escaped injuries in the past couple of years up to Henry Shefflin's cruciate in last year's final.

"Henry has to come back into the team but when I was down watching Richie Power playing for his club - John Leahy (former Tipperary player) is training Carrickshock - last Friday week he was sensational and must have scored about 1-15 before he is after pulling his hamstring and he could be missing for Sunday."