If Shefflin is out then waterford have a chance of an upset.
He certainly was a a savage hurler. The evidence so far this year has been that he has slowed down considerably though.
i was at leinster final and he did not look too bad to me
A small chance. I’d love to be proved wrong but I think it’s much too soon for this Waterford team to be beating All Ireland contenders in big games. It just so happens that they’re the best of the rest but this grim visit to Croker every August isn’t a great reward.
Jackie Tyrell’s demise has been greatly exaggerated
He was sporting breasts like mine in Wexford Park against us in the Leinster semi-final. Has probably come on since then and, as fenway says, was fine in the Leinster Final. Don’t think he’ll be exposed the way Kilkenny condense space in their own half but could struggle if the game somehow develops into an open affair.
“Tis an honour playin against them fellas like…and batin them” 
i have to say that waterford team made hurling in the last decade…its an awful pity they didnt go the whole way and win an all ireland…are they they greatest team never to win one?
In my life time they must be, or in my memory at least. My uncle always says Clare in 77 and Limerick in 80 were up there for that acolade. Although i’d say Limerick may have had a few of the 73 team, so that would disqualify them.
Limerick in 96 were also a real serious side.
But i’d go for Waterford as well.
limerick team 94-96 was a great team.
Waterford have soul. Kilkenny and Cork and Tipp might have been better with their tipping and their tapping and their filthy head high assaults in Kilkenny’s case, but they never had the soul.
They never loved their people the way John Mullane loves his people.
Wexford had a great team in 1993. Dunne, O’Gorman and Storey in their primes. 3-game league final saga with Cork and then losing the Leinster Final replay to Kilkenny when we should have won the first game. That Eamonn Morrissey point at the end to tie it. I want to cry thinking about those games.
Good argument to be made for this team who were competitive in two finals and unlucky not to win one of them at least. Waterford got their back door kicked in, in the only final they reached. Wford were around with a lot of great teams though and the back door made it a lot harder to win one.
well beaten in the replay
But players on that team won an All-Ireland later, so that really discounts them. Otherwise i could say the Cork team of 1971, or something like that.
The draw the first day sapped the belief out of them. A case of ‘here we go again’ after the league finals too.
Yeah, I see what you mean.
i remember that league final saga …excellent games…maybe its because i was younger then but the games always seemed closer and more exciting…still think waterford for pure thrills and edge of your seat epic games surpass the rest…
Fair play to Waterford, have managed to stay with Kilkenny despite the early goal. Good intensity to this so far
Real cause for optimism for Wateford people here.