Yeah, hard to see TDB, Barron, Bennett, Curran, Aussie coming back next year, feels like itās been a wasted generation and no silverware againā¦Dessie has been a passenger for years, seems more interested in scoring 29-271 in the club championship. Too many other fellas not at intercounty standard, Jack Fagan, Darragh Lyons, etc but thatās all we have. I donāt think thereās many other lads knocking around the county that should be on the panel. Yes a few unfortunate injuries but over the course of the last 4 years, we havenāt come out of Munster and been relegated twice. Back down playing shit Div 2 league hurling next year.
Hard to see where we go from here. Start rebuilding, my fear is that Queally will be there again next year. Fair play to him for putting himself forward and he is a Waterford man, but himself and Dan arenāt individuals equipped to be near a county senior hurling team.
On a positive note, Billy Nolan has been outstanding this year, is up there with the best in the country now.
Your young fella got mugged off good and proper, lovely salt into the wounds.
Dats Limrik ciddy kiiiddd!!!
Youād want to be on your game with them limerick fellas around. A valuable lesson learnt
A good life lesson for him.
A valuable life lesson.
Dessie wont retire ffs. Is he even 28/29?
Dessie hasnāt contributed anything really since about 2021.
He should.
I think all things considered Waterford performed relatively well across this round robin campaign.
Theyāve had a load of things go against them all year from the Ballygunner boys being late back to Prunty/Patrick Fitz missing the entire year and De Burca, Stephen Bennett, Iarlaith Daly missing large chunks of it. Mikey Kielyās fathers sad passing was another difficult moment for any team to deal with. A real annus horriblis.
With the exception of first day out in the League v Cork they brought a fairly consistent level of performance to every game.
I know the likes of Barron, Bennett, De Burca and Gleeson are being written off but (injuries permitting) the way they have to look at it now is the Clare/Limerick teams that come to Walsh Park next year are likely to be much changed and significantly weaker than what theyāve faced up to now. They love coming to Thurles anyway and Tipp will be starting from scratch too.
Getting out of Munster will be eminently possible and from there the road opens completely. Theyād beat all the Leinster teams in my opinion. The cavalry is coming from the 2025 Minors and they might even get one or two of them involved as early as next year just for the psychological lift it would give the whole county as much as anything else.
If they learned one thing this year, its Mark Fitz should never play in the full back line again. He clearly doesnāt want to be there and could hurt teams so much more any where between 5-12. They might have inadvertently found a full back today in Leavy if Prunty never comes right. Heās not easy on the eye but has some key characteristics in a full back in that heās quick, hard as nails, knows when to foul and most importantly of all, knows his own limitations. He did a fine number on Gillane today.
You seem to be writing a few players off a bit soon there.
You were scathing of Celtic supporters being on the pitch yesterday. Your son had absolutely no business encroaching onto the pitch - either in game or afterwards - & I hope heās learned his lesson. Very lax parenting on your behalf too, I hope you donāt mind me posting.
Both sets of supporters waited until the match in Limerick concluded today before entering the pitch. The Glasgow Celtic supporters yesterday launched a full scale pitch invasion before the match had concluded forcing its abandonment. A marked difference.
I donāt believe there were any Limerick or Waterford players or team mentors assaulted. It was all very good natured, unlike the troubling scenes from Glasgow yesterday.
I actually donāt think thereāll be anywhere near the amount of retirements or drop offs lads are saying. The older lads are only really training from December to May with the last six years and most are half arsing through a club championship they know theyāve no chance of winning. Bennett missing a club championship is probably a blessing in disguise for his hips aswell. Iād say the county board will offer Queally another two year term with the aim of having an all Ireland u20 winning manager in Joxer to take over there on. If Queally doesnāt want it @peddlerscross suggestion in Brendan Cummins sounds like a right fit for both parties.
Queallys get plenty of stick but heās a top man manager and has got an awful lot right for what he has and the challenges there. Dessieās form at intercounty level is just bizarre. Counted at least five shots within a thirty yard radius of the goal this championship that fell short or drifted wide. 0-8 from play in four games for the best club hurler in the country isnāt near enough. Kevin Mahony is a much lesser hurler ability wise and off half the game time hit 2-7.
A thoughtful excellent post, overall.
But why do you veer off into irrelevant self indulgent shite? Complete speculation that is of no relevance whatsoever to Waterfordās situation, past or present or future?
The end ālogicā of this shite is that Leinster counties should not be allowed to compete in the All Ireland series. Do you not understand your own ālogicā?
If you were actually being serious rather than merely being self indulgent, you would be agitating 24:7 for an open draw.
I agree, should be an open draw. Amazing their isnt more of a push for it.
Shane Bennet had his best game today
Why should it be an open draw?
Iām only speculating that if Waterford could just crack this round robin in Munster which is a noose around their neck, theyād be well capable of making an All Ireland Final.
The old system meant they ran into Galway/Kilkenny/Dublin/Offaly regularly enough and they almost always played well in those games winning their fair share.
I have no interest in an open draw championship but think these Round Robins have run their course.
The fact that Waterford were well beaten by Galway in the league and also lost to Kilkenny by a point takes from his argument. Albeit it is a quirk of geographical boundaries that prevents them qualifying for the All-Ireland series most years. Theyāre the side most disadvantaged by the round robin but I suppose itās better than the knockout purgatory they were stuck in pre-1998.