Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Team goal for Deise ace Steve OTHER MULTIPLE FOOTBALLERS OF YEAR
NEWLY-CROWNED hurling All-star Stephen Bennett wants to move on from individual awards to team prizes with Waterford.
But the Championship top scorer in 2020 said the Deise also have to realise that they’re not the second best team in the country.
Bennett’s strong form over the last two seasons was rewarded with his first All-star, the 1,500th the GAA has awarded.
Tadhg de Burca and Jamie Barron were also honoured after contesting Munster and All-ireland finals in 2020. But Bennett told WLR FM they still have so much to improve on.
Pleading for consistency, sharpshooter Bennett said: “It’s about keeping our heads now and realising that we didn’t win a game for two years, so we’re not just this second best team
in Ireland now.
“We haven’t played Tipp, we haven’t played Galway, we haven’t played Wexford, the likes of these teams. We need to be consistent, we need to get back and realise that the attitude needs to be 100 times better again to even compete at this level.
“Then when your attitude is right you’re going to have a chance.”
The Ballysaggart man added: “There’s no denying it’s lovely to get the individual stuff but the ultimate goal is to try and get back and actually win with the team.”
Bennett started all 22 of Waterford’s League and Championship games in 2019 and 2020. He scored 1-54 in the SHC in 2020.
“Everyone is trying to play and when you play then for the last two years, every game, with relatively no injuries, you definitely get positives from it.”
Jack O’shea (Kerry) - 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985
Trevor Giles (Meath) - 1996, 1999
Jimmy Keaveney (Dublin) 1976, 1977
James Mccartan Snr (Down) 1960, 1961