Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

Agreed but county board will probably take the easy option.

Well, Waterford's first 2 games next year are also at home.

Really need to target Clare at home round 2, and Tipp away round 4. 2 wins there should be enough.

A lot depends on how this years all ireland plays out.

If Clare come up short again will Lohan remain, and when is Shane O'Donnell taking his year out?

Whether Limerick win or otherwise, Kiely and his backroom team not certain to continue going to the same well.

Tipp limited, Cork will be very strong next few years.

Anyway, next year a long way off.

Another outsider from Kilkenny here. Every time I hear Darragh O Sullivan speak I cannot but be impressed. He comes across as a man of real integrity and class. Be a great appointment for Waterford.

would be a huge step up for him.
He’s got the equivalent an intercounty pick at club level with massive resources and he’d be very close to all the Ballygunner lads, an uncle of the Mahonys and Patrick Fitzgerald, the enormity of the challenge for him there to step in and build an intercounty team, totally different to what he does with Ballygunner

Not denying he comes across a great lad but I wouldn’t base his credentials based on how he comes across in interviews

Thr arguments against Darragh O Sullivan are the same arguments that were made against Sean Power.

Have we been any better off in not appointing Sean Power or Darragh O'Sullivan?

Waterford the only county in Ireland where a manager wins 2 of the county's 7 All Ireland's and not get a crack at the job (Sean Power).

Win 10 county titles in a row and Waterford's first ever club All Ireland and not get a crack at the job (Darragh O Sullivan).

Paraic Fanning was chosen over Sean Power and only lasted 12 months.

Next up was Liam Cahill you was always going to return to Tipp.

Now Davy who will only hang around for three years max most likely.

5 years, 3 different managers, one league title. Worst case by giving Power or O'Sullivan a chance we wouldn't win a league title.

We failed to ever qualify from the round robin, we've been relegated to Division 2.

How worse could it have been? Or how worse can it be?

Granted Darragh O'Sullivan would surely get a go at it if he applied one would imagine, but he has never been approached.

Sean Power did apply and felt he had the job but Paraic Fanning was offered it instead (that was the time to give Power a chance as they were all his players mainly from minor/u21 All Ireland's)

Here's the thing, Derek McGrath went from Harry Cup to DLS to managing Waterford, yet people question appointing Sean Power or Darragh O'Sullivan.

I think he won 4 titles with the school, 1 county title with DLS and got the Waterford job, delivered a league title in 2015 and reached the AI final.

Yet people questioned/question giving either Sean Power or Darragh O'Sullivan a chance.

Yes either might have a go and fail but at least we'd have tried it.

The covid years we're kind for us other than Limerick beginning the crusade. What is it that knockout hurling suited us better than this round robin system ?? (saying that Laois almost knocked us out if it wasn't for the water break)

Would of been intesting though if Covid never happened and the structures stayed the same. We were due to play Kilkenny in a league QF and round robin opening game was Limerick away

In a review of the year; you'd have to say going undefeated at home is the major success story. If you can guarantee that every year; a trip to Walsh Park becomes a lot more appealing and the buzz around the team will always be there as we'll always be in the mix come the final weekend.

The work rate and fight of the team was outstanding. All the things that require no skill were exemplary and that's about 90% of what you can ask for as a supporter.

Special mention to Tadhg De Burca; imperious in 4 games after 3 potentially career ending injuries in 3 years. It is probably one of the most impressive feats in sports I've ever seen.

Now to the improvements; This Waterford team still has the same failings that we saw under Cahill and last year under Davy. We are a great team IF (and it's a big if) we can win our puckouts. Against Cork; Kiely and Prendergast won ball for fun in the air and we won. We couldn't do jack against Limerick and got killed. Last year against Cork when we got killed we were moving as individuals on puckouts. This year against Limerick we were statues and still got killed. We don't have a simple puck out strategy that's stress tested in the league that puts us at an advantage depending on how the opposition set up. This is something I'd liked to see repped in the league next year as we won't be "showing our hand" against Munster teams.

Secondly there is still the doubt that we have the players needed to consistently win our own puck outs. I think O'Brien's striking and accuracy is limited. We also don't have enough lads like Kiely to win ball too. For example Dessie started at 11 against Limerick and again struggles to make the ball stick; his instinct is to go with the hurl rather than the hand. For all the hype around him; he's not a top tier talent untill he overcomes this limitation. SOD, Gillane, Eoin Cody, Connolly, Conor Whelan all have elite ball winning ability and you'd have them as the best inside forwards in the game. Hopefully this skill can be developed in players but we haven't seen it in the last 5 years under multiple coaches.

To surmise; a step in the right direction and great to be in the mix but can we make the next step which is even harder again.

Few big issues that I see for Waterford are a lot of the team seem to be the same age profile 27-31. A lot of those players need fresh legs coming into the team to keep the whole thing fresh and there doesent seem to be enough coming through.

Waterford have pace but seem to lack physicality/strength up front. Dessie, Shane Bennett, Jack Prendergast, Pat Curran, Barron Two Fitzs are all the light. Mikey Kiely needs to develop more as well and prob needs to be a bigger ball winner at this level. Also at the back the pace is their but Ian Kenny and Daly tryin to carry ball past big men like Hegarty and co shows the same problems…there’s prob too many smaller stature players there at the minute.

Stephen Bennett’s future can’t be certain the round robin is unforgiving and his body will only be able go on for so long. Waterford need a dependable free taker. What happened Reuben Halloran? He had a good County Final last year and is a excellent free taker? Couldnt make Davys plans. Waterfod need a serious influx of players on that team over next 3 years or else it could be very bleak once that older cohort retire

I wouldn’t be banking on Austin Gleeson to get himselsf to the levels required physically to lead the line for the next 2/3 years

disappointing end to our year last Sunday. I thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks. It was great to have a bit of a buzz back in Waterford hurling after what has happened the previous few years. It was nice been competitive and in the mix up to the last day. We had qualification in our own hands, we had three chances at getting out of Munster but couldn’t take either. Am sure Davy and the team will have plenty of regrets especially the Tipp game. Last Sunday was just a bridge too far we looked spent whereas limerick looked back to their old selves. In saying that the lads never gave in and to be within two points heading down the home stretch is a credit to the them and their spirit which was also evident in Ennis.
it was great to see the older brigade like tadgh, Callum, Stephen and Shane etc back to their best. As for next year you would hope all the panel will stick around and come back for another year. Another plus was the contribution of the younger brigade like mark fitz (plays like he has been around for years) kevin Mahoney who seemed to get better as the year went on, Paidi and Patrick fitz (big contributions off the bench) and also paddy leavy who had a great league and was one of our best players last Sunday (has some sideline cut on him) hopefully these lads can drive on next year plus with the likes of Conor Sheehan and cathrach daly (hopefully injury free) to come in we have a few young lads coming through.
it sounds like Aussie wants to come back if he can put the head down over the next few months and try and get in shape he might have a role to play. Although it was a disappointing enend am just trying to find a few positives for the next year or two

If the rumours that I heard last weekend are true then Austin will definitely be back next year.

More wins than the hurlers this year !

Great to see Offaly winning last night playing an attractive brand of hurling and notably not a team of giants either.

Any team needs the players of course, but it really underlines the value of a county realising there is a problem, a passionate and hugely effective man taking over as Co board chairman, doing a root and branch review of structures within a county, making the appropriate changes and now look at them reaping the rewards. For a small place like Offaly to win an u20 in both football and hurling within a few years is amazing.

Hard not to feel a little peeved with been out of the championship on the June bank holiday weekend while the likes of Wexford, Laois, Cork, Dublin etc all looking forward to more days out this summer.

Not to mention Offaly who are on a massive buzz and eyeing up our seat at the top table

Why? They have as good a chance as anyone else making it at senior