Former Kildare manager looks set to take a coaching role with the Tipperary hurlers

It is a divide that has been crossed more often than ever before in recent times, as coaches swap the big O'Neills for the hand-sized sliotar as the physical training aspects of both sports become more and more similar.

Speculation has mounted intensely down in Tipperary over the last number of days that former Lilywhites boss Jason Ryan is going to be part of new hurling manager Michael Ryan's backroom team.

Ryan left his post as football manager in Kildare just over two months ago after a dismal 2015 season, but he still retains a good reputation as a coach and he would be a very good addition to the new Premier county manager's backroom team.

While having managed both the Wexford and Kildare senior football teams, Ryan is predominantly a hurling man and played both club hurling and football down in Waterford before his career was cut short through injury.

Incidentally, new Kildare football manager Cian O'Neill was once part of the Tipperary hurling setup, and the Moorefield man helped to steer the Premier county towards the All-Ireland in 2010.

While many people in Munster believe that Michael Ryan will have an all Tipperary management team, the talk coming out of the county indicates that the De La Salle clubman will be taking up the post in the south of the country.