Why did Tipp's form dip so sharply?

Liam Cahill may need to tweak his programme heading into 2024 in order to enable his Tipperary team to peak at the business end of the season, according to RTÉ hurling analysts Liam Sheedy and Donal Óg Cusack.

For the second season running, a team under Cahill's charge has seen their form curdle in summer after an impressive start to the inter-county season, Waterford famously winning the 2022 league title before imploding in the championship.

Cahill's first campaign as senior boss in his native county ended in abject fashion with a quarter-final defeat to Galway, with Tipp deeply flattered by the two-point margin in the finish.

It was a far cry from the early rounds of the Munster round robin, where Tipp defeated Clare in a hail of goals in Ennis, enjoyed the better of things in Cork before being held to a draw and then matching the All-Ireland champions in a claustrophobic encounter in Thurles.

Why did Tipp's form taper off so badly?

"Tipp went through a really strenuous pre-season," said former manager Liam Sheedy on The Sunday Game.

"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.

"If he's looking forward to 2024, I think Liam will be trying to tweak (it) to make sure the level performance, by the end of the season, is going upwards. It was starting to deplete as the season went on."

'Liam Cahill will know that something has gone wrong in terms of their ability to peak'