“IT WILL BE interesting,” Tony Kelly begins when he’s asked about this weekend’s All-Ireland senior hurling final.

Jamie Barron uses the same word when sharing his thoughts.

Cork and Limerick will meet in the first Liam MacCarthy Cup decider between the two counties in Croke Park on Sunday [throw-in 3.30pm, live on RTÉ Two and Sky Sports].

John Kiely’s Treaty are favourites going in as they look to deliver the county’s first-ever back-to-back All-Ireland titles. The Munster three-in-a-row champions are eyeing a third crown in four years.

The Rebels, meanwhile, are back in their first final since 2013, and hoping to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand for the first time since 2005.

A sizeable challenge awaits Kieran Kingston’s side, but Kelly feels they have “a great chance” of winning a coveted All-Ireland title.

“Cork’s tails are definitely up,” the Clare star said last week; the Leesiders having impressed in their semi-final win over Kilkenny, while Limerick swept past Barron’s Waterford.

“You could even sense it the last day in Croke Park; the support. When Cork teams are going well, they will travel in thousands and thousands of numbers.

“They just seem like a dangerous county to be playing at the minute. They’re in the minor final, the U20 final [they beat Galway on Wednesday night], the senior final; it’s all positive and that’s a dangerous combination, especially a Cork team when they’re going well, going to Croke Park. So I do give them a good chance.

“Saying that, I do think Limerick have got over the initial… when they got there in ’18, there was a great hype around them going there, and when they got the job done then, there was fierce excitement and celebration, as there should be.

“Now I think they have that experience where they go to Croke Park, they have their routine no matter if it’s a [All-Ireland] semi-final, a league final, an All-Ireland final. That mentality of just going up, going in, playing a game, winning it and going home.

“Kilkenny used to have a similar mentality when they were going well in the late 2000s, and I think Limerick are heading in that trajectory as well. I think it will be close but I think Limerick’s experience and know-how of being able to win games the last three or four years will come through in the end.”

Taking a closer look at the game itself, Kelly references their contrasting styles, and feels that puckouts “will dictate an awful lot”.

Tony Kelly after defeat to Cork. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

The Banner man is well versed to share some insights on both sides; his county exiting the 2021 hurling race at the hands of Cork, while Limerick dominated – as they so often do – in their last championship meeting, last year’s Munster quarter-final.

“It will be interesting just to see how Cork go at them, especially around midfield and the half-forward line,” Kelly nods.

“Cork like to run at defences, the likes of Robbie O’Flynn, [Shane] Kingston when he came on the last day, Jack O’Connor; they do like to put the ball on the stick and run at them, and try and cut teams open.

“Limerick play more of a holding [game]. Their six backs like to hold their positions, their full-back line are always touch-tight on their men but their half-back line, they will let you off. It’s just interesting to see how Cork counteract that. Do they put the ball on the stick and run at them? I think if they do that, they could end up running into them, more so than have Limerick chasing them.

“If you saw Cork’s games to date, when they are running at defences, more often than not, the defender is chasing after them, trying to hook them or flick it off them. Limerick like to hold their position and let you run into them, and then they’ll try and swarm you with two and three defenders. It will be interesting.

“Limerick’s size is probably their biggest strength, and their use of the ball. Cork’s biggest strength then is their speed and their use of the ball. It’s going to be interesting to see who comes out on top.”

Barron, likewise, finds it a tough one to call and echoes some of Kelly’s sentiments, probably giving the Déise’s semi-final victors a slight edge.

“It will be an interesting final,” he notes. “Cork have really come on in the last few games. They will be full of confidence and belief going into it. Over the last few years, Cork are the team that caused Limerick the most problems.

“At the same time, Limerick are going to be the hot favourites, and rightly so. Cork will go at them, and cause them problems in stages. If they can keep it up for 70 minutes, it’s hard to know. Limerick seem to find ways in the last few games anyway to deal with what’s been thrown at them, shut it down and continue on with their own game tipping over point and open up a lead.

“Cork, I have no doubt, will throw everything at them. It will be a good game, and there won’t be too much in it.”

Managerial battle: Kieran Kingston and John Kiely. Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO

Having crossed swords with the Treaty in last year’s All-Ireland final, Barron feels Waterford were “a bit naive” and “blown out of the water at times”. He thinks they upped their game in this year’s last-four battle, particularly given their explosive start, but the aim now is on closing the gap. What’s it like playing against them?

“They’re a very good side. There’s no point denying it. Over the last four years, they’ve probably been the best team in Ireland. They bring a lot of things: physicality, they’re well-trained and coached, they play it long, they play it short, they shoot from distance but can play it inside.

“They can do a lot of things, and they seem to do them at the right times. They offer a lot, it’s hard to shut them down in one way, then they go the other way.”

Kelly feels similarly, relishing what’s to come on Sunday with Fergal Horgan — “excellent referee, lets it go” — the man in the middle.

“Limerick, probably, over the last four years have maybe gone up on a tier on their own, just sheer from their consistency and what they’ve won,” he concludes. “Everyone else then seems to be on an even keel. On any given day, anyone seems like they could catch anyone.

“Limerick’s consistency is what separates them. Even on a bad day for Limerick, they’re probably still a seven or seven-and-a-half out of 10 and they can still win at that level.

“That’s just up to the rest of the teams in the country to catch up to them.”

Indeed, he feels Cork could catch them as soon as this weekend.

- Tony Kelly and Jamie Barron were speaking as PwC GAA/GPA Hurlers of the Month for June and July respectively.