Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

Some observations by Cork players on their new coach, Donal (Duck) O’Rourke from Melleray (from the Examiner a few days ago).

This Cork management is hardly four months down the road. Long enough, though, for the players to be fully bought in to what O’Rourke is preaching and practicing.

“I’d say 99% had never worked with Donal before this year, but most fellas would say he is one of the best coaches we have ever played under,” Cork captain Sean O’Donoghue told this writer in February.

“His explaining through drills, his explaining of why we are doing certain drills. The variation too. We have been training for three months now and I don’t think we have done the same drill twice.” 

Niall O’Leary hums the same tune. The corner-back is enjoying the thoroughness and yet unpredictability of O’Rourke’s coaching.

“Some of the stuff he's bringing to the team has been brilliant. There are new drills every single night. There's a fierce variety. It's something that fellas really enjoy.” 

Sounds like a better alternative to who we actually got, especially looking at how Cork have performed so far.

Another 2 years if you heard him on WLR the other night, he banging on about it being a 3 year project 😭

Both the Senior Footballers and Hurlers playing the same time on Saturday coming. Tailteann Cup Round 1 away to Down and Clare game in Thurles both 6pm starts

He may not be that far off the mark…..? Based on the cork game and how Clare played v limerick and last years debacle in cusack park the likelihood of a real thumping’ is on the cards…..😡😡. But we have to remember this is just year one of a three year ‘davey project’.

As a Clare man, I think there isn't much difference in quality between the two teams ahead of Saturday.

Waterford may have been flat against a fresher Cork team, but overall I think Waterford's tactics are the issue.

They do some crazy things and don't really seem to have any consistent plan.

Not sure what they even used the league for.

Normally league is crucial for a manager in Year 1. Not so much about the results but to get his ideas and philosophies across to the players.

Wonder what crowd we will bring to Thurles Saturday after that rather pathetic effort against limerick . To be honest not very hopeful , I will be there anyway trying to make up for being severely outnumbered .

Here we go, last roll of the dice

Yep and on paper very attacking team, let's hope Davy has realised its **** or bust

Both camps out for blood

Very nice team... Love the half forward line....some serious pace in the middle third.

It is unfortunately

Exactly, one of the teams has to break the streak at some stage. Why not tomorrow :D

Won't be able to make the game tomorrow unfortunately. Does anyone know pubs that might be showing it in town?

He did under Liam Cahill. He was ferocious.

In last year’s National Hurling League Final, Waterford set up with a line of 4/5 players across the field in the midfield area to counter Cork’s attempts to work the ball out from the back. Applying enormous pressure, Waterford forced Cork time and again to play the ball laterally or backwards, thus denying them good go-forward ball. Two weeks ago in Páirc Uí Chaoimh Waterford basically conceded midfield to Cork with predictable results. To me (and many others), this was an unbelievably stupid tactical decision on Davy Fitzgerald’s part.

In last year’s game Cárthach Daly, playing in midfield, was one of Waterford’s top performers and did an excellent marking job on Cork danger man Darragh Fitzgibbon. This year Daly hasn’t got a look-in. Meanwhile, Darragh Lyons, also playing in midfield, was Waterford’s weakest link against Limerick and was also poor (admittedly, like nearly everyone else) against Cork, a game in which Darragh Fitzgibbon did enormous damage. Yet Lyons starts again today.

Last year, Patrick Curran was probably Waterford’s most consistent performer, revelling in a new free-roving role, mainly acting as a link between defence and attack. This year he was replaced in attack by Colin Dunford, whose contribution has been very limited. Curran is again omitted today.

Properly selected, set up and motivated, Waterford have the players to put it up to Clare today, but the evidence so far makes this look like a pipe dream.