DÓNAL ÓG CUSACK has called Tipperary “flaky” after they limped out of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship.
Liam Cahill’s side fell to a 1-20 to 1-18 defeat to Galway in a low-quality quarter-final on Saturday.
Speaking on The Sunday Game alongside former Premier boss Liam Sheedy last night, Cusack began: “I would say yesterday’s performance by Tipperary was as bad as I’ve seen in a long time.
“They were flaky. They didn’t bring any intensity. Galway dominated them in possession. We always associate Tipperary teams with being able to transfer the ball, speed of wrist, speed of hand. There was none of that yesterday.
'Yesterday's performance by Tipperary was as bad as I've seen in a long time' - @DonalOgC surprised by Tipp's flakiness in championship exit to Galway
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 25, 2023
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“You have to give Galway credit. I was impressed by their response to the Leinster final. There seemed to be no hangover. Henry Shefflin will be delighted, that’s a testament to his management and to the players. I was impressed with the way the learnt (from the Leinster final) and the way they structured themselves.
“But on the other hand, Tipp were so flaky. Galway were eight points up going into the last quarter and yet they were hanging on in the finish. So, I’m not overly sure how much you can read into it given Tipp were so poor.”
“Tipp went through a really strenuous pre-season,” Sheedy explained. “Liam felt they weren’t at the level they needed to be at so they had a really tough November-December.
“Then they rolled into the league. Performed really well, got to a semi-final. The first half in the semi-final against Limerick was really strong. The Munster championship took its toll as well. Their level of performance looks to have gone in the wrong direction and it looks to be on a downward curve.
'Liam Cahill will know that something has gone wrong in terms of their ability to peak'
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 25, 2023
The panel ask why did Tipperary's form dip so sharply over the course of the season
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“If he’s looking forward to 2024, I think Liam will be trying to tweak (it) to make sure the performance level, by the end of the season, is going upwards. It was starting to deplete as the season went on.”
Cusack, a three-time All-Ireland winner with Cork, echoed Sheedy’s sentiments and questioned Tipp’s failure to peak.
“I’d say Liam will be having a lot of sleepless nights over that. We know he’s an excellent manager, an excellent coach. But you’d have to wonder why did Tipp go so flat? You saw last year, Waterford seemed to peter out.
“From a high performance point of view, it’s the hardest thing to peak on a personal level. From a coaching and a team point of view, it’s the hardest thing to time when you peak.
“Liam Cahill will know that something has gone wrong there in terms of their ability to peak.”
