Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

Cork Hurling is in some shape atm, whatever plan they implemented its working

Sadly there too good for us, let's hope the lads do themselves justice in the 2nd Half. For the age group these Cork lads are some players

More fight shown in the 2nd half but the ship had long since sailed by then.

Twomey, Cummins & Fitzgerald impressed (full fwd line) ; the remainder were fighting a rearguard action most of the time.

Massive team, but well sble to hurl too.. Their first touch snd fitness levels are streets ahead of our lads.. Boys against men unfortunately.. Hard luck lads, we met an excellent Cork side tonight.. Congrats to the Rebels

That Cork centre back and full forward were really exceptional, justified all the hype about them. All in all a very good team. I think Waterford can hope for 3/4 to play senior from this team though and if they can develop then we've had worse years.

Think Cummins is underage again next year too.

Lost to a better team but they showed great fight throughout the game.

Cork 1-26 Waterford 1-15

Notwithstanding the fact that they were up against an outstanding Cork team, I was still very disappointed by Waterford’s performance in last night’s Munster minor final. In their excellent semi-final win over Tipperary, Waterford appeared to be well-coached: their touch and striking were very good, while their interplay and shooting were outstanding.

This certainly was not the case last night. The first touch was frequently poor, possession was regularly lost in contact, too many players under pressure went for an open one-handed lift and were repeatedly dispossessed. Waterford players stood off the opponents they were marking and allowed them gain possession too easily. I don’t recall one instance where a Waterford player emerged with the ball from the many rucks which developed during the game.

However, where Waterford really fell down was in terms of tactics. Despite having a non-existent half forward line, they persisted from start to finish with a long puckout strategy. This made it all too easy for the big Cork half backs who routinely batted the ball down to a midfielder or deep-lying half forward who picked up and started the passing movements which, time and again, opened up a beleaguered Waterford defence.

In the second half, right in front of where I was sitting, Waterford right half back Billy O’Connell took up an unmarked position on the sideline on the Waterford 45 metre line and called repeatedly for the ball from Waterford puckouts. With Waterford playing with the wind, this was a good position to play the ball in over the Cork half back line to the Waterford inside forwards. However, presumably acting on instructions, Waterford goalkeeper Cian Troy completely ignored O’Connell and went for the long ball which, in most cases, came straight back.

On the few occasions when the ball did go into the Waterford inside line they were always out-numbered due to Waterford’s insistence on playing a sweeper, meaning that it was two against three up front. In the circumstances, Jack Twomey and Peter Cummins did very well with the meagre supply of good ball that came their way. Cummins scored two points and was very unlucky with an early goal shot that hit the goalie’s foot and stayed out. 

Twomey was far and away Waterford’s best player on the night, racking up 1-4 from play. His goal was a carbon copy of the one he got against Tipperary, as he came in along the end line to the left of the goal and batted the ball superbly inside the far post. His first touch was outstanding and he has strength and pace. Apart from an early O’Connell point, Cummins and Twomey were the only Waterford players to score from play, and one wonders how the game might have turned out if they had got a decent supply of ball.

As in the Tipperary game, Patrick Fitzgerald played a free-roving game out around the half-forward/midfield area, but with Waterford getting little decent possession in this area, Fitzgerald ended up with little possession. On the few occasions that he did get into good attacking situations (especially in the second half) he was (as pointed out by blueflame in his post) routinely taken down by the cynical Cork defence who were quite happy to take a series of harmless yellow cards in the process. As Kilkenny have shown over the years, this is the kind of thing you do in order to win hurling championships. Fitzgerald’s scoring, therefore, was confined to frees, a function which he performed excellently.

Nevertheless, there are some positives to be taken from the minors’ short campaign. Beating any Tipperary out the gate is always to be welcomed, and that game produced a lot of good individual performances. And, in a game where scoring forwards are a priceless commodity, the fact that, over the two games, Waterford’s three best players all fell into this category offers great promise for the future.

When you go a goal down within 13 seconds, it's fairly ominous.

The management must have been asleep at the wheel, not to notice the ease with which Cork were winning virtually all the puck outs.

In the first half, Waterford couldn't win a 60/40 ball, never mind a 50/50 ball. To be fair, they came away with the ball from a number of rucks in the 2nd half.

The Cork players clearly targeted Fitzgerald at every opportunity, at one stage being sandwiched by 2 defenders. Their chief marksman (Leahy) was held relatively well from open play, given his exploits against Clare & Limerick.

Anyone see Stephen Bennett hitting Cahill into the chest at the first quarter break? there was certainly words between the two.

I'd say Cahill is gone and DMG will be first back in the door.

It looked like Cahill was asking him about the frees that he missed as Bennett seemed to be pointing up across the field alluding to direction of the wind was blowing. Hardly a belt into the chest

So you reckon The same DMcG that couldn’t find a place for Stephen Bennett in his team, let him sit on the bench for the AI final v Galway?

heard tonight that Conor Gleeson attended the hearing of his own accord in support of Casey to say there was nothing in it

Good luck to Casey.

It's strange that his appeal was dealt with very quickly, while (very ironically) Conor Gleeson was left out to dry during his appeal which dragged on almost interminably for what was a fairly innocuous offence.

Apparently all not well with the Bennetts and management, there's been a fall out. Will be interesting to see what happens.

It was a virtual meeting ,so Gleason didn't attend!

I somehow think their 70 years of pain will continue.....this will be their 11th final appearance (i think) in about 30 years...... the KY lads will be too good for them......

Well you know fair play to him if he did. He missed the final in 17 over the softest ever tap on Horgan's leg. I was sitting in the front row right beside it and it annoys me still how he went down.