There doesn’t seem to be a que of lads wanting to get involved at senior inter county management anymore. It’s basically a full time job now.
Probably more lucrative to take 2-3 club teams
From what I saw of Waterford this year there is a definite issue with the basic skills of the game on the senior county team. I’m not sure whether this is endemic on the club scene but it is certainly an issue for the senior team and it shouldn’t be. I’d be fairly sure that seasoned operator Conor Prunty didn’t play one pass properly all year. Darragh Lyons, Tom Barron and Colm Dunford repeatedly fumbled simple passes to them. Neil Montgomery couldn’t hit a cows arse with a banjo yet repeatedly takes the shot on. Billy Nolan can’t puck the ball out. Stephen Bennett was winding up for a ridiculous swing in no space when Flanagan hit him. You can’t be hurling at that standard now and expect to get away with. Every thing has to be crisp, first time and over the bar or you are at nothing. I’ve no idea how the players were being coached but to my eye their skills have gone backwards since last year.
3 Likes
Browne is in with Tipp this year and I think has been around Waterford panels but @Fagan_ODowd will confirm this.
Yes he was on the back room team when Cahill was Waterford boss. Tony is a good judge of a hurler but wouldn’t be a manager.
Stick a fork in them
He doesn’t strike me as the type of personality who would be a good fit for Waterford.
What other potential managers are out there?
Is yer man Shane O’Neill who managed Galway for a couple of years considered damaged goods now? The circumstances he had the job in were not ideal.
Eddie Brennan? Michael “Church” Ryan?
Most of the personnel you mentioned there I would classify as not up to inter-county standard. Some have even played under every managerial regime since Davy was first there 2008-11.
Waterford are at nothing until at the very least they can get the best hurlers in the county involved and on the field.
Its the coaching ticket, the management appointment brings that is the key. As @Fagan_ODowd says, waterford look unfit and badly coached this year. Fact that lads are returning from injury does not help and may well be a legacy of having the legs run off them previously.
That doesnt explain what is going on at underage though…
James Hickey wouldn’t be given an underage team in Cratloe if he went looking for it yet here he is the number two in an I/C set up.
8 Likes
Again cant understand how that isnt challenged and I know nothing about the lad.
I’m not sure it was a complete waste of 5 years.
Positives:
•First Leinster title in 15 years.
•2 Leinster final appearances having not been in one for 9 years prior to his arrival.
•First All-Ireland semi-final appearance in 12 years.
•Regularly had Kilkenny’s number in championship hurling.
•First League semi-final appearance in 10 years.
•Eradicated the morale sapping hammerings that Wexford had suffered in the years previous. 25 points against Limerick 2014, 24 against Kilkenny 2015 and perhaps worst of all, a 13 point mauling at the hands of Ger Cunningham’s Dublin in 2016.
•Promotion from Division 1B at the first time of asking after 6 seasons stuck down there. Comfortably retained 1A status for the following 2 seasons before the GAA made a ridiculous decision to change the format.
Negatives:
• Didn’t develop the squad at all beyond his group of around 18-19 favourites. Very little impact off the bench. Ultimately that was probably more costly against Tipp in 2019 than Fanning’s puck-outs.
• Failed to beat Munster opposition in championship hurling. Liam Dunne had beaten Clare, Waterford and Cork.
•Conor McDonald regressed during his tenure.
•2020 was a complete write-off.
•The near annual championship exit to Clare without really going for it. 2018 was probably the most frustrating of this genre.
•Failure to push on against Tipp in 2019. A man up and 5 points in the ascendancy.
Ultimately I think if he left at the end of the 2019 season then his time with Wexford would be remembered very fondly.
4 Likes
To quote a good friend when I asked “a complete stones”
He is friends with Davys son
I believe he used to gladly give up his time to caddy for Davy and the relationships has blossomed from there
I think he did a great job at Wexford overall
De la salle are very competitive in schools. They need more stepping up to plate. As with most things, alignment is key. For that to happen, you need the right man running the whole thing. Until other counties appoint a CEO, like Dublin, the gap will just continue to widen
1 Like
Yes. It definitely wasn’t a waste of 5 years. Wexford had potential when he arrived in the winter of 2016/17 but they were at a low enough ebb after a demoralising run of results.
Agreed. At a basic level someone needs to take the lead on underage structures. Donal Moloney is key in Clare
1 Like