'All-Ireland football more important than trophy'

Conor Laverty has guided Down to the Tailteann Cup final two years in a row

Down manager Conor Laverty believes that the guarantee of All-Ireland football is more important than silverware ahead of the Tailteann Cup final.

The Tailteann Cup was established in 2022 as the second-tier to the Sam Maguire.

The winners of Down and Laois in the Tailteann Cup decider at Croke Park on Saturday are guaranteed to play in the top tier in 2025.

"I almost think that's more important than the silverware," Laverty told BBC Sport NI.

"Going forward as a group of players, either Down or Laois, there is a massive prize at stake here. Both sets of players will be really gunning towards that."

After defeating Laois in the 2023 semi-finals of the Tailteann Cup, Down lost the decider to Meath, who went on to lift the silverware and earn promotion to the All-Ireland series.

Laverty admits his side were "disappointed" with the 2023 final but will aim to bounce back in Saturday's decider.

"In the second half Meath were the better side," Laverty added.

"It's great to be back and we're looking forward to trying to get to that performance level one again."

Laverty also credited Laois manager former Armagh All-Ireland winning defender Justin McNulty, who took over as manager in 2023.

"You can definitely see his style in the way Laois are playing and how much improvement they have made, even from last year," Laverty added.

"He came from an Armagh side who were great in their defence, so you can see that style of play. They are going to be very well set up and hard to break down.

Down reached the final by defeating 14-man Sligo after extra-time in Dublin.

Laverty added that he has a "full bill of health" for his squad for the final.

'We will focus on performance'

Justin McNulty won the All-Ireland as a player with Armagh in 2002

After missing out on the decider at the hands of Down last year, McNulty says it is "an honour" to get to play at Croke Park.

Laois defeated New York in the preliminary quarter-finals and battled past Kildare in the last eight.

That set up a semi-final tie with Antrim and McNulty's side ran out convincing 3-12 to 1-13 winners.

"Last year's games are gone," McNulty said ahead of Saturday's final.

"Obviously the team didn't perform to a level they would be proud of but we hope we have improved since then. We know Down have."

McNulty added he has "huge respect" for the Mourne County and their "quality" coaching ticket of Laverty and Ciaran Meenagh.

He is also determined to keep his side focused on the occasion on their performance and not the rewards that come with victory.

"We haven't even thought about the outcomes.

"We can only focus on our performance."