Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 2011-2012

Deise Tom

zol 2 wrote: »

Anyone any news on what new players have been asked on to the senior panel? i heard they're meeting tomorrow night it would be interesting to know are there any new recruits?

I know 2 out of 3 of the management team are in place, but can they fully pick a panel until the 3rd member is in place. HArdly fair if the panel is picked before he is officially appointed, even if he is in the backroom team as things stand according to rumours.

Twixaroo

Deise Tom wrote: »

I know 2 out of 3 of the management team are in place, but can they fully pick a panel until the 3rd member is in place. HArdly fair if the panel is picked before he is officially appointed, even if he is in the backroom team as things stand according to rumours.

Heard they clearing a few out too. Eoin Kelly and Eoin Mac gone, Casey, Paul O'Brien, Tommy Ryan, not sure if Ringo going back. Few more too i cant recall the names now.. Dillon, madigan, barron, ray barry, killian fitzgerald, crotty, donie breathnach all added from what heard..

thesultan

Twixaroo wrote: »

Heard they clearing a few out too. Eoin Kelly and Eoin Mac gone, Casey, Paul O'Brien, Tommy Ryan, not sure if Ringo going back. Few more too i cant recall the names now.. Dillon, madigan, barron, ray barry, killian fitzgerald, crotty, donie breathnach all added from what heard..

Ringo's gone I think. Meeting in Mount Sion this weekend. Who is Killian Fitzgerald?

zol 2

Meeting is called off i heard for the senior panel tonight,no idea why? I hope it's not going to be cloak and dagger stuff again this year when it comes to the panel as in not knowing who is in or who is not. Why all the secrecy?Killian Fitzgerald plays with Passage.Deise Tom is right when he says it's not ideal when"officially"there are only 2 of the management team in place but as more rumours gather pace,we're led to believe that the 3rd position will be fill from within.I fear for the new recruits coming in when they see this farce because most of these youngfellas will be used to professional set ups in there respective colleges in Cork and Waterford and will have they're eyes opened if the set up isn't up to scratch.

PTH2009

Anyone word on the older players. John Mullane, Tony Browne, Seamus Prendergast etc . Whos staying or going.

zol 2

PTH2009 wrote: »

Anyone word on the older players. John Mullane, Tony Browne, Seamus Prendergast etc . Whos staying or going.

As far as i know they're all staying. I was in Lismore last night(doing the family duties!)and the 2 Barrys are definitely brought on to panel along with Paudi Prendergast. Great achievement for Seanie Barry especially and i know the club up there really rate him highly. A good story about him i heard last night was on last year's new year's eve while everyone was heading out to ring in the new year he went on an 8 mile run to stay in shape!and on the mornings that Blackwater are training for the Harty Cup at 7am he goes for a 5 mile run beforehand! It's nice to see that type of hard work and dedication being rewarded.
Anyone know if Ritchie Foley has been dropped from the panel? He hadn't the best of year's at club level but it wasn't too long ago that he was scoring freely in the league and really was one that i thought would push on and make himself an established member of the side.
It seems that they have looked at the extended panel from last year and decided to move some of them out and replace them with a lot of the younger guys coming through and for this they have to be commended because some of these players have been on the fringes for numerous years without really making the breakthrough so maybe it was time to give the likes of Jake Dillon,Eoin Madigan,Shane Kearney,Jamie Barron etc the chance to stake their claim and see what comes of it.

mccarthy37

Newmarket will be De La Salle's opponent's in the Munster club Championship. Tough one to call hope Salle will be well prepared for this one.

Black Suir

Did anybody hear, is Maurice Shanahan out for some time to come. Something to do with a hip opperation or something. Heard the story from someone who claims to know someone that is in the know.

glick6

Black Suir wrote: »

Did anybody hear, is Maurice Shanahan out for some time to come. Something to do with a hip opperation or something. Heard the story from someone who claims to know someone that is in the know.

Yea, you're right. He was dogged with that this year. He'll be back fully fit for league all going well.

Mountainlad

glick6 wrote: »

Yea, you're right. He was dogged with that this year. He'll be back fully fit for league all going well.

Lot of young players havin hip problems at the moment, it's strange!

Deise Tom

Mountainlad wrote: »

Lot of young players havin hip problems at the moment, it's strange!

Makes you wonder are coachs over training people involved in all sports.

hardybuck

Deise Tom wrote: »

Makes you wonder are coachs over training people involved in all sports.

I agree, when you see a pattern of injuries like that emerging, you've got to start looking at the root cause - and it's most likely to be the type of training they're doing.

deisebhoy17

PTH2009 wrote: »

Anyone word on the older players. John Mullane, Tony Browne, Seamus Prendergast etc . Whos staying or going.

Mullane definetly staying. Seamus is waiting until the new year to make a call on it but Id say hes basically going to see if hes still up to it and if he feels he still has something to offer he'll plough on for another year. Hes had 2 great seasons at centre forward imo and should he move on its a big problem position for us. Anyone know if Shane O'Sullivan is coming back to the panel? He did a good job at CF in the leage a couple years ago.
Tony Id say will be back otherwise hed have announced his retirement by now. Personally I think he should step away from it now and it might open the way for more young lads to move in and develop. The future is the priority now and in truth if hes not up tio 70 mins hurling anymore then tough calls need to be made. It will be interesting to see what happens there.

hardybuck

mccarthy37 wrote: »

Newmarket will be De La Salle's opponent's in the Munster club Championship. Tough one to call hope Salle will be well prepared for this one.

Tough journey going to Ennis, but it's the best draw that they could have got. The other side of the draw contains Thurles Sars and Cork Sars, both of whom have won a couple of county titles in the past few years, and have a number of top county players in their ranks.

Teams who aren't winning their first titles are straight away looking at the club championship. Newmarket, although they have a successful history, they haven't won anything in a good few years and won't be as so hopefully they'll enjoy the celebrations.

Mountainlad

Deise Tom wrote: »

Makes you wonder are coachs over training people involved in all sports.

The prevalence of cruciate ligament injuries is defintely the worst thing that has come in the modern era. Every year you're hearing about players suffering what is a really terrible injury.

I don't think it's theoretically linked to players being over trained, but when you think about the amount of training sessions and matches that are played on pitch's with bad surfaces, I guess you could probably link it to the rise in the number of these injuries suffered.

hardybuck

Mountainlad wrote: »

I don't think it's theoretically linked to players being over trained, but when you think about the amount of training sessions and matches that are played on pitch's with bad surfaces, I guess you could probably link it to the rise in the number of these injuries suffered.

I can remember many a cold winters night spend doing endless laps around the Showgrounds pitch at Fraher Field (the pitch out the back).

The surface was dangerously poor, the lights were dangerously poor and the type of training we were doing was totally unsuitable and probably doing us damage. You'd have to run with your head down so you could try and avoid running into a hole where you might twist something.

For county underage sides, the county board would appoint a management team shortly before Christmas, who would then have about 12 weeks to pick a squad and train them for a Munster Championship game. I doubt many conversations were had regarding an individuals coaching credentials, which is criminal when you're dealing with future talent who need to be well protected.

Despite playing on handy teams, too many players on my teams fell away for various reasons, while lads we grew up playing against went on to win All Irelands and All Stars. Every year you got older you could feel yourself falling behind them.

Going slightly off topic, but the talk of hip injuries reminds me of how serious an issue this is. I sense things have improved in recent years, but I still feel that we need a root and branch review of our coaching structures.

glick6

These hip injuries were always around but were misdiagnosed as different types of hernias etc. only over the past few years have new assessment techniques allowed proper diagnosis and thus proper management. It's many a player went off and had a "gilmores groin" op and had no relief whatsoever afterwards because it was a hip problem all along, ask Eoin McGrath. A lot of the hip injuries are to do with people's body shape. You get people with stiff hips and lots of training over stresses the joint. Other people with normal hip joints don't have any problem. Just look at tony Browne. Very few injuries over his career. Great body shape and alignment.

solarith

hardybuck wrote: »

I agree, when you see a pattern of injuries like that emerging, you've got to start looking at the root cause - and it's most likely to be the type of training they're doing.

Agreed - take a look at how many of the younger Waterford Hurlers have faced serious injuries over the last 5 years, there's so many. It's not a coincidence.

cornerboy

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/obsession-with-weights-not-such-a-hip-fashion-3276781.html

Obsession with weights not such a hip fashion

by Neil Francis

Players are suffering hip horrors due to excessive focus on strength work, writes Neil Francis

As I peered through the muddied windows of the Old Belvedere weights rooms, a flicker of excitement hit. The assemblage that only De Sade could have concocted had no-one using it -- the place was empty. It was 6 o'clock and I needed a witness to say that I had indeed turned up. There would be a phone call later that day from coach Bruce Deans.

The Kiwi had insisted that the team needed to do weights in the off-season to garner a competitive edge. Franner insisted that he needed to be lighter and quicker rather than bigger and stronger. Aged 32, I was as big and strong as I needed to be and, if you want the truth, I wasn't arsed. If you wanted to play you had to train, the injuns come with the territory. Training okay; weights, no!

I had agreed for the sake of squad unity that I would do three sessions a week. 'If Frano isn't doing them why should we'? The call came, where was I? I had sworn affidavits to say that I was there and we drew a line under it, neither believing the other. OK, see you Wednesday and we'll have breakfast at 8 o'clock. "Why would I want to eat breakfast at dinnertime Brucie?"

I'd consider getting out of bed at 5.0am to collect a Euro Millions Super Jackpot -- getting up at that hour at the end of my career for weight training in the club? Nein!

I used to call it the twang room because every time I went in something would go twang. I would get bored or get injured and usually when I got bored I got injured. My advice for people who ask for advice for themselves or their sons: stay out of the weights room.

At the 2007 Rugby World Cup, I came across some of the strength stats that the squad were doing at the time. At the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the best single rep max from our group for a full squat was 150kgs (it wasn't me). Twelve years later, there were four members of the squad who could squat circa 240kgs. Simple mathematics tells you that in that space of time, the majority of the squad were over one and a half times as strong as their 1995 predecessors. That is a startling departure. The four players mentioned were Paul O'Connell, Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy and John Hayes -- all of them phenomenally powerful athletes and obviously prodigious in the weights room.

Maybe it's a coincidence but the first three named have all had injury-blighted careers with Leamy regretfully having to conclude his prematurely. Hayes, the farmer, a man so naturally strong he would have thrived in a weights room, was rarely injured and was one of Munster and Ireland's most consistent performers; maybe just a coincidence.

Any professional player reading these sentiments would draw the conclusion that I am out of touch and that a weights programme is an absolute necessity to be able to compete. I cannot but agree, but caveats exist. Last Wednesday, Declan Kidney announced his squad for the Guinness series of internationals. Missing from that squad were the names of Seán O'Brien, David Kearney and Rhys Ruddock, who would assuredly have been selected if fit.

Strange to relate that they all have hip injuries. Currently there are five hip injuries on the extended Leinster squad. You normally don't hear of hip injuries until you get to your 50s or 60s. How come 20-year-olds are picking up this type of injury, one that just does not come up on the radar? All of these players have suffered a labral tear, which is damage to the ring of soft elastic tissue that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint.

To get an idea of how potentially serious the condition is, it is important to remember that both Denis Leamy (degenerative) and Ian Dowling (traumatic) had their careers cut short by this type of injury. Cruelly, Leamy was in such pain that painkillers no longer had any effect.

Rugby as a collision sport leaves you open to a traumatic hip labral tear where hip adduction/flexion or extreme manoeuvres in or out of contact can cause an acute injury. That's part of the game; you can break a leg or sever your ACL in contact.

It is, however, the degenerative or chronic injury that interests me. The degeneration of the labrum as a result of repetitive strain and use has become a regular and unwelcome feature in a number of sporting pursuits.

Take, for instance, ice hockey. In Canada, where they start them off as young as four, 30 per cent of 14-16-year-olds have already developed arthritis in their hip at that stage of their lives. You can be sure that of the seven Irish players mentioned earlier all will have a visit from this most painful affliction. Leamy already knows all about it.

So if the hip injury is not a traumatic occurrence, where do all the players pick up the chronic or degenerative type of the injury? One guess only, Sherlock. Studies don't show conclusively but the weights room is the prime suspect. With deep squatting in particular, and with the weight at scarcely believable levels on the barbell, the pressure on hips and lower back is just plain unhealthy.

Leinster have taken steps, but only after recognising that there is a problem. Every new member of the

academy has an MRI done of his hips to check that players' hip alignment and also to see if he is genetically pre-disposed to problems if he does start to lift heavy weights -- really heavy weights -- so techniques can be adjusted or programmes altered.

Twenty years ago, the concept of a complete shoulder or knee reconstruction was a brand new and radical operation but now nobody blinks an eyelid. Hip arthroscopy is in its infancy, techniques are being refined and quite often a scope can save you complications later on in life but I just have a bad feeling that the last couple of generations of schoolboy players and the current crop will suffer badly from the latest affliction to the power game.

The number of schoolboys from aged 14 upwards who do weights is staggering. Most adolescents do not become skeletally mature until they are 18 or 19. Doing weights, particularly heavy weights, affects the growth plate area, the epiphysis which is the growing area of the bone.

Osgood-Schlatter disease (look it up) is rampant in rugby schoolboys, a lot of it complicated by doing weights during growth spurts. The same children will, if they get further down the line, come across more severe consequences from lifting heavy weights into adulthood as the barbell gets heavier and heavier. The way the game has gone hip injuries will be the new injury with newer fixes and cures and complications. In the rush to acquire breeze-block physiques, it has become hip to be square.

"Stay out of the gym son."

Mountainlad

I'd accept the broader issue of an over emphasis on gym work and weights to some degree.

The problem isn't as acute as it is in rugby though, as that sport is much more focused on strength and conditioning. The players are also much heavier, and therefore it's only natural that joints, ligaments and tendons from the waist down are under more pressure.

I think one of the big problems in hurling is the demand the players face as amateurs. In Rugby, the players are professionals (well, the elite are), it's their job.

Rest and recuperation is not and never has been a primary concern with the GAA coaches, and even players. They rush back from injuries. I know this happens in a lot of sports, but the stress of having a full time job (or not having) and trying to make ends meet is a little different.

Players don't let injuries recover properly. In fact, they can't afford too. That intensifies the problem, and I think there has been evidence of this with players in Waterford.

Very interesting article though!

Deise Tom

Mountainlad wrote: »

The prevalence of cruciate ligament injuries is defintely the worst thing that has come in the modern era. Every year you're hearing about players suffering what is a really terrible injury.

I don't think it's theoretically linked to players being over trained, but when you think about the amount of training sessions and matches that are played on pitch's with bad surfaces, I guess you could probably link it to the rise in the number of these injuries suffered.

I spoke to someone with a bit of medical knowledge a few years back and they were saying, in their view, the main problem going into the future would be the amount of work done indoors. They were saying the constant hitting of a timber floor while running etc was not good for the joints. I know other sport like handball are played indoors and on a timber or cement floor and seldom hear of injuries, but there is a hell of a lot less running in these games than there is for fellows running up and down halls and jumping hurdles etc over the winter months in a bit to get/retain their fitness.

deisebhoy17

Maybe clutching at straws here but I wonder could the modern footwear be a factor aswell? Boots are designed so much lighter nowadays.
I remember Greame Souness saying a few years back that when he was playing hed never heard the word metatarsal, but at one stage while manager at Newcastle he had 3 players out with metatarsal injuries at the one time.

hardybuck

deisebhoy17 wrote: »

Maybe clutching at straws here but I wonder could the modern footwear be a factor aswell? Boots are designed so much lighter nowadays.
I remember Greame Souness saying a few years back that when he was playing hed never heard the word metatarsal, but at one stage while manager at Newcastle he had 3 players out with metatarsal injuries at the one time.

Blades on boots are probably having some impact. There is an opinion held that the blades offer too much grip, resulting in twists and snaps. I don't think Man Utd players are allowed to wear blades - but don't quote me on that.

Mountainlad

I'd say it is a factor. People playing with the really light boots say that you would feel the impact on your foot more, it hurts. So you probably are more prone to knocks, and ultimately the small niggles graduate over time and become bigger problems.

comeraghs

So Who do ye fancy for the football on Sunday?

hardybuck

comeraghs wrote: »

So Who do ye fancy for the football on Sunday?

I had a look over at Paddy Power, they seem to be favouring Stradbally. However, when I looked at the goalscoring bets Shane Walsh didn't seem to appear in any? Does anyone know if he might be injured?

I'd expect the Nire to win this. They've had a bit of time off now to recover from the hurling, and they have plenty of quality and experience in the team. I don't see quite that level of strength in depth in Stradbally.

hardybuck

Did anyone get a chance to see this article in Hoganstand this morning? http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=180166

On a positive note, Kiely has ruled himself out of the reckoning for the Waterford job. I'm a little outside of the loop here on this though - has anyone heard any rumours about the possible replacements?

On another note, Cunningham is making big noises that Waterford won't be looking from assistance from central powers to sort out this dept situation. He claims that "things are almost sorted". Does anyone trust this guy and those around him to sort out this mess? Personally I think the GAA could do with some Troika style investigations into the County Board affairs...

deisebhoy17

hardybuck wrote: »

Did anyone get a chance to see this article in Hoganstand this morning? http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=180166

On a positive note, Kiely has ruled himself out of the reckoning for the Waterford job. I'm a little outside of the loop here on this though - has anyone heard any rumours about the possible replacements?

On another note, Cunningham is making big noises that Waterford won't be looking from assistance from central powers to sort out this dept situation. He claims that "things are almost sorted". Does anyone trust this guy and those around him to sort out this mess? Personally I think the GAA could do with some Troika style investigations into the County Board affairs...

Apparantly they got in the region of 650K bailout from AIB. 10 year loan... by the time its paid back it will come to in excess of a million with interest. Had to be done but a disgrace that things had to come to that.

As for the football manager there would want to be someone in very shortly sure arent they due to go back training this month? They should have someone got by now Owens announced his resignation in plenty time

hardybuck

deisebhoy17 wrote: »

Apparantly they got in the region of 650K bailout from AIB. 10 year loan... by the time its paid back it will come to in excess of a million with interest. Had to be done but a disgrace that things had to come to that.

As for the football manager there would want to be someone in very shortly sure arent they due to go back training this month? They should have someone got by now Owens announced his resignation in plenty time

The loan should put a temporary solution on the problem, but very dangerous situation when you are taking out loans to service existing debts. To say "it's almost sorted" doesn't fill me with confidence either, as if to say 'well it's off my plate for now, someone else will need to worry about that in 10 years'. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't get a sense of a plan or framework being developed to ensure this doesn't happen again.

Regarding football - I heard that an appointment would be made in November, and it would be a local candidate. We're a small county, and there is only a small pool of options - and Kiely has ruled himself out. Must be some insider info out there!

jupiterjack

comeraghs wrote: »

So Who do ye fancy for the football on Sunday?

Think it could be a close one, The Nire seem to be not at their best in the last few games i have seen them play, Kilrossanty were very unlucky not to beat them first time out and also the second game Kilrossanty had an uphill battle with a player sent off and in the semi final The Nire were even more so below par. Their 3 lucky goals saw them over the line against Clashmore. Stradbally of course are the championship specialists over the last number of years and when it comes to finals it hard to look past them so for that reason i would perhaps see Stradbally shading it. I just hope its not as bad a day as it was at last years final wind and rain galore..

tus.maith

Jim Maher from Kilrossanty front runner to take over the senior football team.

Black Suir

hardybuck wrote: »

Did anyone get a chance to see this article in Hoganstand this morning? http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=180166

On a positive note, Kiely has ruled himself out of the reckoning for the Waterford job. I'm a little outside of the loop here on this though - has anyone heard any rumours about the possible replacements?

On another note, Cunningham is making big noises that Waterford won't be looking from assistance from central powers to sort out this dept situation. He claims that "things are almost sorted". Does anyone trust this guy and those around him to sort out this mess? Personally I think the GAA could do with some Troika style investigations into the County Board affairs...

If he said today was Thursday I would go and look for a daily paper.

Black Suir

deisebhoy17 wrote: »

Apparantly they got in the region of 650K bailout from AIB. 10 year loan... by the time its paid back it will come to in excess of a million with interest. Had to be done but a disgrace that things had to come to that.

As for the football manager there would want to be someone in very shortly sure arent they due to go back training this month? They should have someone got by now Owens announced his resignation in plenty time

You have to remember with some of the individuals you are dealing with here. Last December the county board were asked to get a director of football and 11 months on it seems that they are no nearer to it than on the night the request was made. Maybe if the dog was not done with John Owens when it came to fixtures, maybe there might be no reason to be looking for anyone as he appears to be a great favourite with the players and football supporters over the past three years.

jupiterjack

tus.maith wrote: »

Jim Maher from Kilrossanty front runner to take over the senior football team.

Heard that alright myself..

culbaire666

Can we not just give up on intercounty football to save a few euro's lads.Football will always be the poor relation in Waterford.

deisebhoy17

jupiterjack wrote: »

Heard that alright myself..

who is he what are his credentials?

deisebhoy17

culbaire666 wrote: »

Can we not just give up on intercounty football to save a few euro's lads.Football will always be the poor relation in Waterford.

amm.. no.

jupiterjack

culbaire666 wrote: »

Can we not just give up on intercounty football to save a few euro's lads.Football will always be the poor relation in Waterford.

Do read some stupid thinks on this alright and this is another one.Perhaps it may be seen as the poor relation with regards to success but in such areas as Stradbally, Kilrossanty, Kilmac, Kill, Bonmahon, Rathgormack, The Nire and many other parishes it is seen as the number one sport and to deny any player representing their county in any code is just unbelievable really.

jupiterjack

deisebhoy17 wrote: »

who is he what are his credentials?

Jim is perhaps one of the greatest players to represent his county, he was on the Irish Independent greatest Waterford football team. he won 5 championships with Kilrossanty in the 80s, but then again good players dont always make good manager. As for credentials, perhaps an outside appointment would have better credentials, but he has managed Kilrossanty and was with the Brickeys last year so perhaps he could be worth a shot, cant think of any one else within the county that would be any better..

deisebhoy17

jupiterjack wrote: »

Jim is perhaps one of the greatest players to represent his county, he was on the Irish Independent greatest Waterford football team. he won 5 championships with Kilrossanty in the 80s, but then again good players dont always make good manager. As for credentials, perhaps an outside appointment would have better credentials, but he has managed Kilrossanty and was with the Brickeys last year so perhaps he could be worth a shot, cant think of any one else within the county that would be any better..

sounds ok, we obviously cant afford a micko (not that were not better off hes too old anyway) and there is no one like John Owens knocking around either. Owens was a guy with good credentials who happened to work within the county so it was a good and convenient move. Definetly a good thing that we didnt resort to Jackson. That would have been a step backwards. a fresh voice is needed.

hardybuck

deisebhoy17 wrote: »

sounds ok, we obviously cant afford a micko (not that were not better off hes too old anyway) and there is no one like John Owens knocking around either. Owens was a guy with good credentials who happened to work within the county so it was a good and convenient move. Personally dont know of Jim Maher but if he has played for the county, from a football area, has trained various teams and is update to date with wats going on, players ect... Id be happy enough with that.Definetly a good thing that we didnt resort to Jackson. That would have been a step backwards. a fresh voice is needed.

Agreed. Again, I don't know this guy personally, but you'd have to be enthused based on the above. I'm probably a bit of a broken record on this, but the coaching structures don't look to be anywhere near right looking at the recent performance of our underage teams. The heady days of the 90's and 00's look to be well gone, and we blew most of that talent anyway. The reason why we had good teams was due to a few good people working in the clubs at the time, and this needs to be the source of the revival. Something needs to be done to stir up a bit of enthuasiasm. Maybe now there are more people, men in particular, with time on their hands who could be targeted with coaching courses etc. Not only could it be a good social initiative for the GAA to be involved in, it could have real practical benefits also.

culbaire666

That would be your opinion.We would be better off saving the money and developing underage structures for the next 10yrs within the whole county not just the few pockets where football is no.1

hardybuck

culbaire666 wrote: »

That would be your opinion.We would be better off saving the money and developing underage structures for the next 10yrs within the whole county not just the few pockets where football is no.1

I don't get what you mean here? How do you save money and develop underage structures exactly?

culbaire666

Save by not having any intercounty football teams and put some of the cash into coaching at underage levels which may lead to us being more competive in 10-15yrs

Straight Talker

culbaire666 wrote: »

Can we not just give up on intercounty football to save a few euro's lads.Football will always be the poor relation in Waterford.

So you want Waterford to be like Kilkenny and treat football with disdain.John Kiely and John Owens did a lot to improve Waterford footballs standing and Waterfords clubs have been competitive in the munster football club championship.The county board in Waterford just do not support the senior football management enough.They wouldn't even give John Kiely or John Owens enough time to prepare the team for championship games.If the county board were more supportive i think you could see the Waterford footballers win a few games in the qualifiers.Even though Waterford may not be a successful GAA county in terms of national honours Waterford is a proper GAA county in regards to the way that it tries to compete on all fronts.Abandoning football in the manner that Kilkenny did would cause me to lose a lot of respect for Waterford GAA.I don't thing such a thing will happen anyway like the people in West Cork football means a lot to the people of West Waterford.

culbaire666

Agreed Waterford clubs are up there with the best of what munster has to offer but we are trying to compete at intercounty level with probally 70% of the clubs having hurling as their no.1 priority I just think we are wasting our time.

hurlerford

Dont think waterford football clubs are up there with the rest in munster, there have been some very poor showings by stradbally and ballynacourty the last 10 years. I would say hurling is a priority with 80% of the clubs but I guess you'll always have a few lost clubs like kilrossanty, kilmac etc more interested in a minority sport like gaelic football in waterford because they are so bad at hurling. Our first and second sports are hurling and soccer and anything after that we will never be good at as our population is too small. Here's to waterford utd gaining promotion to the premier division and waterford hurling bringing back liam to ballybricken and the dungarvan square.

solarith

70% of clubs you say? Not sure what world you live in.
edit - 80% Now! My God.


Money has absolutely nothing to do with lack of hurling All Irelands in the county.

Also, poor showings? Stradbally lost the Munster Club Final after a replay and Nire would have beaten Nemo in Cork only for a slip and the ball ended up in the net. Did you see the Kerry Co Final last weekend? Nire and Stradbally are most definitely at that standard.

hurlerford

solarith wrote: »

70% of clubs you say? Not sure what world you live in.
edit - 80% Now! My God.


Money has absolutely nothing to do with lack of hurling All Irelands in the county.

Also, poor showings? Stradbally lost the Munster Club Final after a replay and Nire would have beaten Nemo in Cork only for a slip and the ball ended up in the net. Did you see the Kerry Co Final last weekend? Nire and Stradbally are most definitely at that standard.

Dr Crokes destroyed the waterford football champions last year, all they had to do was move their two corner forwards out, hit high ball into cooper and ball back of net every time not even getting out of 3rd gear. Same would happen to Nire or Stradbally this year. We never won anything playing that minority sport expect a junior all ireland and an under 21 munster so pointless spending what scare resources we have in that direction. Only my opinion. We can agree to disagree but it is what it is.

jupiterjack

hurlerford wrote: »

Dont think waterford football clubs are up there with the rest in munster, there have been some very poor showings by stradbally and ballynacourty the last 10 years. I would say hurling is a priority with 80% of the clubs but I guess you'll always have a few lost clubs like kilrossanty, kilmac etc more interested in a minority sport like gaelic football in waterford because they are so bad at hurling. Our first and second sports are hurling and soccer and anything after that we will never be good at as our population is too small. Here's to waterford utd gaining promotion to the premier division and waterford hurling bringing back liam to ballybricken and the dungarvan square.

This is just laughable really to refer to football as a minority sport, i would guess that your from the city and that you know nothing about the club scene in waterford. Perhaps it is the case that hurling is the priority of 80% of city clubs but you should spread your wings and look towards the county where football is the priority of perhaps 60-70% of clubs..