Tipperary U21 football captain Colin O'Riordan says this Premier County side has a winning mentality.

Having accounted for Cork and Dublin in their last two outings, Tipp tackle Tyrone in Saturday's All-Ireland final at Parnell Park.

"You go out everyday in the Tipperary jersey and you are 99% sure you have a right chance of winning, but it is that 1% in the back of your mind telling you that the Corks and Dublins of the football world are meant to be better than you," the 19-year-old All Star nominee says in The Irish Examiner.

"It sticks in the back of your head that if something goes wrong in a game against one of the traditional forces that you could be in for an onslaught. You are thinking maybe they are better than us. The doubt starts to creep in that maybe you are not as good as you thought you were.

"There was doubt, of course. There is something different about this group, however. They don't believe in losing. They don't think we might lose. They always think win, win, win. That's not the usual attitude of a Tipperary footballer.

"When you beat the Corks and the Dublins then, the belief becomes massive. The realisation you have beaten these lads brings you on no end.

"We are contending with the likes of Cork, Dublin, and now Tyrone. People don't see that as the norm. Should people think we should be there the whole time? I don't think so. We have to make the breakthrough at senior before we get proper, proper recognition."

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