If they donât win it this year, itâs tricky psychology wise
I canât see another three happening. Weâre in the hunt for this year, might get another year then after that, but you are looking at a serious overhaul then. Lads who are still the right side of 30 currently have serious mileage as well as injuries put away. There is not the same quality coming through then either.
Iâd be delighted to win one more with this bunch tbh.
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Look at Kilkenny. Four-in-a-row to 09, two in a row 11/12, another 2 in 14/15. Some fucking innings. 8 out of 10 All Irelands. 9 finals.
Not sure if Limerick quite have that (theyâd have to do in a 3 in a row to match it) but Iâd be surprised if theyâre not even in a final this year.
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Cork are going to absolutely smash them up at some stage this year and itâll finish them.
No underage All Ireland since '17? Mined a fair bit out of those 2015 and 2017 u21s team in fairness
I think Cork will win Munster and Limerick will win the All Ireland beating Cork in the final.
Really I havent a clue what will happen! but forced to call it, that is how I see it
The 2022 u20 team came within a whisker of winning an ai. Weâve plucked a few from that team including CON, Coughlan and bull plus the two oâConnors
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Limerick have twelve lads starting Sunday born in 1996 or earlier.
Cork have three i think and two of those are 1996.
In 2011, Kilkenny had Paul Murphy, Michael Fennelly, Michael Rice, Richie Hogan, TJ Reid, Colin Fennelly, Richie Power and Cha Fitzpatrick aged 26 or younger. Larkin was 27, Tommy Walsh 28.
Its pie in the sky talk to think Limerick will win 2-3 more All Irelandâs. Theyâve been absolutely hopeless underage for a good while now bar a decent u20 team in 2022.
That 2022 limerick team was very strong - the CON absence and a poor umpire cost them along with a very below par performance in final.
They have brought through 4/5 top class players from it - the Bull, Adam English and CON are going to be multiple all stars and Aidan O Connor and Coughlan will have long inter county careers
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The point is we may still win All Irelands on the decline such was our superiority at our peak
Itâs only really cork that can stop limerick and we are well capable of beating them once we start to flow
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This Cork team have more mileage than people realise also - I think
Harnedy, Horgan, Coleman, Fitzgibbon, Kingston, SOD, Tim O Mahony, Luke Meade, ROF, have psychological scars built up since 2017/18 where they have repeatedly failed to get over the line in big games in Croke Park
Even the likes of Pa Collins, NOL, Rob Downey, Deccie Dalton all played in the 2021 massacre and have been in with cork for last 6/7 years.
10 of the starting cork team have had relatively lean inter county careers.
Pressure is really on the new breed this year to get them over the line - the 2020/2021 u20 winners (Hayes, Connolly, Barrett, Joyce, Eoin Downey) - they are outstanding top class players in the 24 age bracket and they need to be the difference maker. Interestingly 4 of them didnât play well in the final last year.
This Cork group are playing the best hurling in the land and deserve to be favourites. They have the ability to hand out clippings if teams arenât fully tuned in.
They will have pressure to deal with as as the year progresses as they get closer to ending the famine. we have seen it in Ennis, there are mental scars there and defensive weaknesses to be picked at.
Tipp have rolled over twice to have their bellies tickled in the pairc - and hence why the Tipps are saying cork are unbeatable.
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Itâs hard to believe that he couldnât get me through the ECDL.
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Derek McGrath: Trust the pack mentality to refill Waterfordâs half-empty glass
The Waterford psyche would be an interesting psychological study. We love to assume.
Limerickâs Adam English and William OâDonoghue tackle Jamie Barron of Waterford. Pic: James Crombie, Inphp
Fri, 16 May, 2025 - 07:05
âOne of the worst things anybody can do is assume. I think fools assume. If people have really got it together, they never assume anything. They believe, they work hard and they prepare⊠but they donât assume.â
Leading with the Heart, Coach K, Mike Kryzyzewski
The Waterford psyche would be an interesting psychological study. We love to assume. Three words and phrases that lend themselves to assumptions should be banned from any high-performing environment. They are âseeminglyâ, âapparentlyâ and âsomeone saidâ.
Many DĂ©ise observers balanced the optimism after the acquisition of two valuable points from the All-Ireland champions with the pessimistic outlook that âweâll get nothing from the Limerick gameâ. Leaving Walsh Park, having comprehensively beaten Clare, it was a case of âitâs all about the Tipp game in Thurlesâ. There are familiar echoes this week, with Waterford supporters concluding that we better secure our qualification this weekend as PĂĄirc UĂ Chaoimh the weekend after is a non-runner against the Rebel machine.
I was reminded of an on-field encounter I had with my late father in Thurles following our 2015 Munster semi-final victory over Cork. With our place in the Munster final secured my Dad quipped, âat least you have an All-Ireland quarter-final nowâ.
According to most, Waterfordâs comprehensive defeat of Cork last year was a case of âcatching the Rebels coldâ. This yearâs pummelling of Clare was all about the Banner missing key players and lacking motivation having reached their Everest last year.
Our default negativity is probably based on the historical landscape, years of hurt, and some realism. A glass-half-empty default. Tipperaryâs resurgence triggers our negative bias to hear the âTipp, Tipp, Tippâ chorus rising.
Commentary from inside and outside our county has somehow managed to equate Ballygunnerâs dominance with elements of our recent underperformances. When asked last year about Waterfordâs league performances, Shane McGrath pointed out that in other counties lads would âkill a man to try and play for your countyâ, adding that âsome lads on the best club team in Waterford donât want to play for your countyâ. Incredibly, the assertion brought nods of agreement.
Truth is Ballygunnerâs contribution to Waterford for the past 20 years has been without question. From Hartley, Flynn and Frampton to the recent contributions of OâKeeffe, Coughlan, the Mahonys, Hogan, Leavey, Kenny, Sheehan and Hutchinson etc. My point here is that this negative conjecture corresponds with the Waterford psyche. This search for something or someone to blame.
After the Limerick game, Kevin Mahony and Dessie Hutchinson were winners of the race for first to ship criticism. A closer analysis of Waterfordâs performance against Clare will detect often unnoticed work that Kevin Mahony did hunting the opposition backs and allowing Jamie Barron hoover up possession deep in the Waterford defensive half.
Dessie has taught sporadically here in our school for the past few years displaying a brilliant capacity for leading and directing quietly. He is a class act chasing his real form. My belief is that this will manifest itself Sunday and the race to criticise gang may don different hats.
MANAGEMENT AND PLAYERS FOCUS ON SPECIFICS
Many spoke of the freedom afforded to Cian Lynch and Cathal Mannion last weekend, but solution-based analysis was lacking.
No player has been subjected to more lazy analysis than Tadgh de BĂșrca. Scenario planning is one of the most important aspects of an inter-county dressing room and based on the Limerick game, Waterford should consider the following this weekend:
- The pack create the wall and a âsomeone gets to himâ approach.
Much depends on a teamâs needs. Do they need clarity with every aspect or do they need madness? If your identity is built upon creating chaos, the pack approach lends itself to a hurt team, driven by intangible motivations.
It involves your 10, 11 and 12 forming a cordon with both midfielders to ensure that a Cian Lynch and perhaps this weekend Jake Morris or Andrew Ormond are met with bodies in front of their area and are hunted, particularly when we lose possession. Once turned over the classic counter-attack can begin.
- The classic Cyril Farrell third midfielder with a twist.
Waterford may decide to play Jack Prendergast and/or Jamie Barron as extra counter-attacking midfielders. Knowing that Tipperary assigned Ronan Maher to Peter Duggan last week and Robert Byrne tracked Kelly, will the brains trust stick or twist with their new man-to-man approach? With Barron possibly tracked by Byrne, Maher with Michael Kiely, the Abbeyside man may well alternate with Stephen Bennett to form a two-man inside line with Dessie.
Two years ago, Craig Morgan followed Bennett all over Walsh Park. With Byrne and Morgan following deep, Dessie may finally get the space and deliveries he has been craving. Tadghâs wall of protection will allow him marry marking and sweeping.
- Trade off on a wing forward
If deciding to man-mark Jake Morris and Noel McGrath, Waterford may trade off on the extremely hard-working and very underrated Conor Stakelum. This would entail Tadgh doing his best Diarmaid Byrnes impression from wing back with deep and designed tracking cover coming from Jack Prendergast at wing forward allowing him to tuck in and set up attacks from a zonal 5. Peter Hogan often performs this role for Ballygunner, freeing up Philip Mahony to orchestrate the defence and team from a sitting 6 position.
- Go with an out and out 7th
With Morris and McGrath having detailed and confirmed man-markers that crucially can attack themselves from unstructured breakdown in play, the value of Mark Fitzgerald and/or Shane Bennett could be utilised to add overlap and scoring potential. The loss of Calum Lyons is acutely felt. The two key pieces here are ensuring Tadhg is both a launchpad for attacks and a defensive enforcer and that Ronan Maher is given the full Lar Corbett/ Tommy Walsh experience down the other end. Tasking Tadgh with metrics around turning up on the counter in the opposition half would also provide Tipperary with a different conundrum.
- Tadgh follows.
If this were to occur and Tadgh steps out almost 90 yards from goal with Morris or Ormond, Waterford may decide to sit a wing back according to the side that the play is on, or ensure Jamie or a good-ball playing midfielder like Darragh Lyons is deep enough to sweep around the back of the vacated space.
Many will point to the complexity of the above suggestions and insinuate that itâs a âsimple gameâ and leave them at it. Reality is the simplicity we often admire is the result of the simulation and practice of scenarios which are repetitively practised and taught.
KINNERK THE SILENT SCENARIO PLANNER
The best scenario planner in hurling is in the green corner Sunday. There comes a time in a burgeoning rivalry where a marker needs to be put down. A combination of vicious but fair tackling and an obsession with Sean OâDonnellâs metrics will guarantee a pumped-up Limerick face Cork.
The leader has asked the people to come to the colosseum and I expect the Limerick gladiators to deliver. Subtle improvements in their tackle approach has seen them perfect the long hurley tackle, their ability to flick, swat and dispossess the ball in the opponentsâ hands is better even than the masters Kilkenny.
Limerickâs return to their more unconventional modus operandi against Waterford, with at least five defenders inside their own 45, enabled them to make Walsh Park look a big pitch.
Focus has been on Corkâs propensity to hunt goals but Kinnerk will have noted Gillaneâs first half mispick, Hegartyâs misplaced handpass to Gillane, and Shane OâBrien opting not to give a 15-yard angled extra pass to Gillane. Kinnerkâs scenarios will have âgone afterâ these.
Notable about Limerick was Lynchâs ability to orchestrate from deep when needed but also to turn up between the 21 and 45 to keep the sitting 6 guessing. The eye of the needle passes through channels given by Tom Morrissey were clearly worked on and have their foundation in soccer coaching.
The Cork coaching team will have ensured that Ethan Twomey adds the ability to dip his shoulder when he knows the hook is coming. The expected return of the brilliant Shane Barrett and Declan Daltonâs form may see Darragh Fitzgibbon renew his 2024 partnership with Tim OâMahony. Limerick will surely chase a clean sheet with the same vigour as their shots on goal target. Nickie Quaid may well need to save one-on-one goal opportunities to ensure this happens. Do not rule out a couple of black card scenarios as the lethal inside 3 go after the Limerick full-back line.
I canât help feeling that over the last few weeks there is a little bit of assumption in the air. When Brian Lohan was interviewed last December, his assertion was that a culture in Clare had developed previous to his tenure whereby defenders needed assistance and needed help. Stating that âdefenders never needed helpâ and that âwe never needed helpâ was pointed, and wholly contrasted with what was needed in Ennis during the first halves against Cork and Tipperary.
The basic concept of a team is the help piece. The assertion became an assumption. Now the assumption is that Limerick and Cork instalment 1 of 3 will take place Sunday (an assumption I concur with) and Corkâs goal machine and pace will be too powerful for the Treaty men. Tipperary will have enough for a âreally formidable Waterfordâ as they are Tipperary.
The throwing away of a four-point lead in injury time of last yearâs game and the winning of the respective fixture two years ago by Waterford and Limerickâs six Munsters in a row are not assumptions they are facts.
The Treaty and DĂ©ise to quieten the assumers.
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Most of Dereks solutions involve an extra man back
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The Portroe mafia must be back if Byrne is getting a run out for Tipp.
Got a fancy for Waterford in the undercard match tomorrow. Canât articulate why but just have a feeling.
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Gone to fuck on the drink and the tickety tocks
Did you sell the @Kyle account?
Add @Kyle to the list of tfk tickety tock ambassadors 
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In fairness. You 100% have to be on either insta or tocks for trading. Iâm never gonna join instas so itâs tocky. I can send on a couple of lads who do brilliant trade educational videos if you like? Really changed how i look at charts