In the examiner
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Iâm not sure theres much they could have done to prevent Mahony, Gleeson, De Burca and Coughlan.
Maybe Maurice, Connors and Fives might have been preventable?
Collar bone and broken hand is not from over training.
They are standard hurling injuries.
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Correct.
I did feel though from a few months back when the two Bennetts and Maurice (for a while) opted out of the panel that Waterford wouldnât do anything this year. Youâd be thinking that a young panel all bar Kevin Moran and Brick Walsh making it to the big day for the first time last September and getting a taste of it theyâd be re-doubling their efforts to come back and go one better. Very strange for 3 of the 20 players who saw action that day to opt out just a few months later.
They âseemâ like a team grossly over trained .
Most of the injuries seem to be as a result of being hit .
There will be one big performance in Waterford in either the Cork or Limerick match when they are as good as out and no pressure on them and they have Moran, Mahoney and Gleeson back and they just do it for pure pride.
Potential banana skin
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I think Waterford have some very decent players. I think the depth of their squad is as strong as any really, but no team could deal with that amount of injuries in a short space of time. Injuries obviously play an even bigger role when the games are so close together.
But while I respect that Derek McGrath employs a tactic that he feels works, I just donât like a setup where regularly one forward is left to chase around in circles against three backs. To me, itâs not efficient and is borne out of fear. It obviously works to a certain extent but I feel he lacks flexibility and in that, will struggle to beat the very best.
Personally, I also dislike the utter contempt he has shown the League and Munster Championship. Iâm all for experimentation and that but deliberately throwing matches, and heavy sessions the morning of matches to ânot show your handâ? I donât like it.
This is true.
Waterford are a very proud hurling county.
They will die fighting.
My understanding is that Shane Bennett had a pain in his bollix playing the John Aldridge under Big Jack role in the Waterford set up and he walked as a result. Hard to blame him. Donât know why Kieran walked but he was likely to have been a bit part player.
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Is Patrick Curran still part of the set up? If so, how many more have to get injured before he gets a run out?
Amazingly he still is. Couldnât believe that he didnât warrant a run on Sunday.
You do not understand stress and fatigue so
Ones ability to position ones self and resist pressure is critically altered by fatigue
Not saying there is not an element of luck bur luck cannot explain away this avalanche of injuries.
Not to mention they admitted going very close to the edge themselves.
These things are never by chance
Kev, whatâs your view on a number of weeks of matches in a row? I reckon these lads are so fit and love playing games so much that three weeks in a row is no bother. The fourth might be tiring but I reckon mentally more so than physically. Itâs a disadvantage in that management have less time to work on things or correct weaknesses. What do you reckon? Am I underestimating how much energy a player expends in a game and recovery time needed?
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The players wanted more games apparently
This year will be tough to get used to but they will adapt. I would think dumping the provincial in time will facilitate numbers and we should get 6 games with 2 groups of 7.
Play for 2, week off, play 2âŚ
I think they just need to be smart about loading and tapering.
Itâs new territory but at same time if they listen to pros there should not be an issue.
Problem is not everyone has pros
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Gaa players arenât half as fit as they think. League of Ireland soccer players are streets ahead of them.
Depends on the position a Cian Lynch and Jamie Barron can easily go 70mins plus in a far more physical sport,a Richie McCarthy or Noel Connors not so much.
Different requirements
Fitness has more than aerobic capacity as a measure (which LOI players obviously wpuld have higher)
GAA players would have far higher power outputs and hi intensity periods of play
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There are top class centre halves who couldnât do much running either.
Itâs all relative