Michael Duignan says the GAA should consider bringing water breaks back for tomorrow’s All-Ireland senior hurling championship final.  

Defending champions Limerick face Kilkenny at Croke Park at 3.30pm when temperatures are expected to reach close to 30 degrees Celsius.

The start of this year saw the GAA scrapping water breaks, which had been introduced in the summer of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to RTÉ's Saturday Sport, Offaly legend Duignan said he believes that the breaks in the middle of each half should be brought back in temporarily for tomorrow’s decider at headquarters.

“The GAA is generally trying to keep people off the field because we've seen some incidents over the last number of years. I think tomorrow is an exception. I would reintroduce the water break tomorrow for the day that's in it," said the two-time All-Ireland winner.

"I wasn't a fan of (water breaks) but it was obviously there for a reason during Covid - we knew that - and it was very practical but it went on too long in my view.

"But I think tomorrow it's going to be something that nobody has ever experienced before.

"At Croke Park, with that sort of a crowd, it's going to intensify the heat as well. It's going to be just unbelievable out there so from a player welfare point of view - look, it's probably too late now and maybe it wasn't thought about - I would have reintroduced the water break.

"But you're going to have to get water in and I don't think either county board or any of the management teams are going to be too worried about a few fines afterwards if they do encroach with water but whether there's common sense or a few rules are broken, I think the players will have to get water tomorrow."

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