Tipperary football manager Liam Kearns says he is planning to be without the services of last year’s captain Peter Acheson for 2017.
Acheson moved to Dubai for work purposes following the conclusion of a memorable 2016 championship and Kearns says that the Moyle Rovers clubman is “committed to staying there for this year.”
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Speaking to the RTÉ GAA Podcast, the Premier boss isn’t expecting the 27-year-old to be part of his plans for the coming year.
“It’s unlikely (return) to be honest. He’s committed to staying there for this year,” he said.
“We’re not expecting him to make it back this year but we hope in the near future that he will get back.”
Asked for his thoughts on the Super 8, Kearns believes it will widen the gap between the top tier and the chasing pack, despite Tipp’s exploits in reaching the last four in 2017.
He said: “Let’s just put the Tipp thing aside. Have a look at the fact that you’re asking amateur players to play four, five, six games in a row.
"I just think this is not going to work"
“A game every two weeks would be ideal but if you come through the qualifiers into the super 8, you’re going to be talking about going out five, six or seven times in a row. It’s ridiculous to ask amateurs to do that.
“The stronger counties who have depth in their panels will cope with those demands better than those who don’t.
“I just think this is not going to work. Maybe I’ll be wrong and I’ll eat my words but it’s easier for a manager of a stronger county to say ‘give it a chance’.
“As a manager of a weaker county, the super 8 will put a huge stretch on our resources and that’s the reality.”
