Big disadvantage for Waterford having so many players living outside of the county and so far away in Dublin and Cork. Mayo have the same problem in football.
In as sense you are correct but they seem to enjoy the anonymity of the Capital and have built a strong bond all living/travelling down to training together.
Top level hurling and gaelic football isnāt for the working man anymore. You need a benefactor to provide some no show job or be a teacher or third level student to give the required preparation these days
The day of Labourers, Plasterers & general tradesmen being IC athletes is long gone Iām afraid.
Shur, even Farmers find it difficult to commit these days.
OāKeeffeās more than likely working from home if heās still with the Bank. He probably just wants some time away to do something else, like staying in his pyjamas to play Championship Manager.
I donāt agree at all. Both shots pretty much straight at him.
Waterford seem to lose more players in their prime to taking time out than other counties for whatever reason. Not saying itās a bad thing
Like?
Devine, Shane Bennett, OāKeefe, Philip Mahoney
Devine a doctor. Philip Mahony and Stephen OāKeeffe both Dublin based. Shane Bennett out in Ballysaggart with a close to 3 hour round trip to training in Waterford City.
Of the frontline hurling counties, Waterford probably have the highest number of players living outside the county.
Education
Travel
Rest
Injury
Did you get that stat off NPHET?
I didnāt say there wasnāt reasons behind them. Other counties also have those issues
What other counties have doctors playing inter-county hurling currently?
Probably not many. Is Shane OāDonnell a doctor? How many inter county teams have players living in Dublin or making 3 hour round trips for training? A lot Iād say.
Again Iām not saying it as a bad thing. Theyāre dead right to give it up if they feel itās taking too much time out of their life
Mahony is teaching in DLS, had been previously Dublin based, him and SOK are hardly in their prime either, both 29/30 and had given 10 years
AFAIK Bennett pulled out this year as he had planned on going traveling pre covid. I think he had been working up the country anyway
If the All Ireland Hurling Finals remain a fixture at the start of July, Iād imagine youāll have more and more players walking away from inter-county teams. Younger fellows would typically have more time on their hands when a championship is played over the summer months of June, July, August and early September. Championship will be over for a lot of counties now late May/early June. Be a lot harder for college students who are anyway serious about their studies to give the near full time commitment with exams in May.
Players residing in their own county or a third level institution in the vicinity a somewhat understated predictor of success these days.
Medical research side of things.
I thought Soky was based in Waterford the past 12 months with the bank.
Maybe he is