Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

I agree that the loss of Iarlaith Daly changed everything for us defensively. Nobody is going to dominate Gillane for 70 minutes, but Daly certainly looked like he was up to the challenge. The decision to put Prunty on Hegarty and Daly on Gillane was spot on and really shows the calibre of what Cahill and his team bring to the table.

I still think Limerick are hot favourites, but I also think this is the best Waterford team of the modern era and with some adjustments and 70 minutes of complete concentration and commitment, and yes, a bit of luck, it's possible we can overturn Limerick if we get out of Munster.

don't know about that, I don't think anyone else will beat them, but for a close game Kilkenny, Tipp or Galway are all capable of having respectable scoreboards vs Limerick

You are joking right? After Tipps performance yesterday against Clare, Limerick would absolutely destroy them on the scoreboard.

Daly has had strange views of Waterford for a while. As stated above he started the talk of having a deeper panel than anyone else. And yet after the Wexford, Cork and Tipp games he's been doubting their credentials by suggesting the other team were off the pace.

Personally I disagree with his analysis of the Limerick game, we were well on top for a lot of the first half and didn't take chances that presented. That seems to have been forgotten and the goals we scored are being regarded as late consolation scores. I was of the view that each game lasted 70 mins and a goal was worth the same amount irrespective of when it was scored but I must have been mistaken. Again though as I said previously I'm certainly not taking away from Limerick who were deserving victors.

If Saturday proves anything it's how easily so called pundits are swayed by one game. Daly now saying that we were over hyped another 'podcaster' calling the result a 'significant failure'! and the general narrative being because Limerick were missing a few we should have beat them if we were to prove that we have closed the gap. To come to that conclusion you have to discount the 2 goals we scored and ignore the fact that the game was played in the gaelic grounds- apparently if you score 2 goals when you are 7 points down they dont count or they 'camouflage' the result!

It also requires you to ignore the significance of the Daly injury and the fact that Barron has only played a half of hurling this year. If you are going to point out missing players as relevant then surely it works for both sides!

Prior to Saturday in Limericks last 10 championship matches they won half of them by 10 points or more with an average winning margin of 9 points and an average of goals conceded of 0.7, conceding no goals in half those games. On Saturday they conceded 2 and was (jointly with Galway in 20) their lowest winning margin.

Yes the players missing were a factor but not to the level some are suggesting. The home crowd was a huge advantage to them , that and the fact that the waterford supporters that did travel were strangely subdued.

Not saying we have closed the gap but i think we can close it if we meet again and it is probably a good thing that the hype ( mostly from the outside) has been dampened by this result.

You have to remember Limericks absentees had a combined total of around 12 AI medals and 2 player of the year accolades, one of which is current.

That's some absentee list.

Would agree completely about the hype being dampened, it needs to happen.

Although I will say ex Waterford players and managers were responsible for a lot of the hype, not just external sources.

Limerick were missing big players but they've won three All-Ireland's in 4 years with largely the same team so any time they're missing players they'll be missing a lot of AI medals!

Cork vs Clare next Sunday is a big game for us. it will make the path a little clearer gojng into the final 2 rounds of Munster

No matter the result Cork on the 15th May is a mammoth game for us

Think the Cork vs Clare game will be live on GAAgo, could easily throw it on RTE News channel

Eddie Brennan is taking a somewhat positive spin on Waterford’s defeat, i.e. saying that Liam Cahill should take a glass half full view.

I’m sure Cahill was feeling an awful lot better this morning than Colm Bonnar.

If I’m not mistaken, that was Waterford’s 5th game in 6 weeks. With the intensity and constant movement in modern hurling, playing games on the trot must be mentally and physically draining (while allowing for the fact that Waterford didn’t burst a gut in the Kilkenny league match, which was the first of those 5 games).

Everyone again now saying that Limerick are unbeatable and that the chasing pack are at at similar level ; at least that takes the pressure off Waterford. The Stats shown above are very revealing ; Limerick just seem to get the basics right more often than other teams (currently) ….. free conversions ; puck outs won ; turnovers. It sounds simple ….. match Limerick at those and you give yourself a good chance.

You could have a scenario where the final group game between Tipp & Cork is a dead rubber for those teams. Waterford had better beat Cork ; otherwise, if we lose then Cork will surely beat a Tipp team with nothing to play for in which case Waterford will need a convincing win in Ennis to keep the show on the road, which is not an attractive proposition at this point. Going back to my earlier point, the 3 week break allows Waterford to refocus, get some injuries sorted and come out all guns blazing on May 15th.

I’m not sure what your point is, I presume Kiely won’t be asking anyone with a cruciate injury to tog out. Don’t know what Lynch’s injury is but a bad hamstring can be a big problem. My point is that Kiely basically only used two subs given the early injury to Lynch. That is very unusual in this day and age of non stop running.

And if my Aunt had balls etc. The All Ireland is on in about 12 weeks. In a single game in Ennis we lost about 6 players to injury and indiscipline. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone but it is probable that teams will lose more players than anyone will make a miraculous recovery from a cruciate injury.

waterford were very good against the most inform team of last 3 years - physical /fit/ and good play put it up to limerick for 60 minutes and also got goals against a mean defence - cahill and his backroom team must be happy even if the result did not go there way - i think waterford and kilkenny are the two teams who will trouble limerick as waterford have the panel and players and cahill as been a great sucess and no overblown hype which usually follows the team - kilkenny are progressing well and one thing kilkenny never do is quit and i would think limerick would have a fear of them and will want to avenge that all-ireland semi-final defeat in 2019 - clare could throw a spanner in the works yet regarding the munster championship

I did this for a while and just got sick of doing it, the screen would inevitably “jump” back to the last read post for a split second my finger was off the screen. Took another posters advice and downloaded a different browser (Duck Duck Go) and no issues. Would recommend just doing that.

Big game the weekend between Cork and Clare, after a result comes out of that match the Munster group will be taking a lot of shape. Clare win and they're more or less guaranteed qualification while Cork's hopes would be hanging by a thread. A Cork win would really bust the group wide open. Either way, they (Cork) will come to Walsh Park desperate for a win - whether that's looking for their first win which if they got would put them in a position where they'd have to beat a Tipp side who'll be long gone by then or they'll come to town off the back off beating Clare with their tails up and renewed hope that they'll get out of Munster - something that didn't look possible after their Limerick hiding. Point being that we simply have to bring the intensity and workrate against Cork and get that vital win.

As Giveitfong says above, best of luck to the minors this evening and again for the u20’s tomorrow. Would be great for either or both of them to get a win, we’ll be sick of the sight of that green jersey by the weekend (as well as the road up there) and we could conceivably end up meeting them twice more at senior before the summer is out…

The Lim/Wat [full game] doesn't seem to be available now, just few minutes highlights plus I dont see the Dublin/Wexford there either

Great stuff so far but need to keep concentration. Leads can be quickly eaten into a lot jn this grade