Clare have got stronger in Tony Kelly's absence - Shane McGrath

Shane McGrath believes Clare are better-placed to challenge Limerick this year, with their supporting cast having grown in confidence by winning the Allianz Hurling league without star man Tony Kelly.

Kelly sat out the spring recovering from ankle surgery as the Banner lifted their first trophy in eight years but the Ballyea forward could come into contention on Sunday when they host the five-in-a-row Munster champions, who have beaten them in successive one-score provincial finals.

"Every week in Munster there are going to be two humdingers and I don't think you could start any better than Limerick and Clare in Ennis," former Tipperary star McGrath told the RTÉ GAA Podcast.

"Limerick are a phenomenal group. But Clare are coming into it in a great place. They are the form team. League champions.

"Every team needs piano movers and piano players. And in the form of Tony Kelly you have the greatest piano player Clare have ever seen. But some of the piano movers have become piano players because Tony wasn't there.

"Sometimes when the great steps away, the people who don’t get a lot of the limelight get a freedom almost, 'I can actually go on and do this now’.

"Clare have actually become a stronger panel in the absence of Tony Kelly, because Mark Rodgers and Aidan McCarthy feel more freedom. And when Tony comes back he’ll probably feel more freedom.

"When he’s ready to play, that’s a no-brainer but the rest of them have stepped up to a level that they can really help him.

"We saw glimpses of it last year. He was scoring 50, 55% of Clare’s scores on his own a couple of years ago. Last year it was less and I think this year it will be less [again].

"So while Limerick are brilliant, I think Clare are a in better place [than last year].