Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
Déise need to back up the hype
BECAUSE of their collapse from the 40th minute onwards, we quickly forget that Cork made a great start to the second half of last Sunday’s clash with Limerick.
They scored four points in the first three minutes, and it would have been 1-3, but for a brilliant save by Nickey Quaid to deflect the ball over the bar.
It’s an exact replica almost of what Waterford did earlier in the day against Tipperary but, whereas the Deise pushed on afterwards with another goal from Dessie Hutchinson, Cork imploded.
Much of Waterford’s impetus in that second half came from the introduction of Austin Gleeson and Jamie Barron at half-time but, even at that, they still spluttered and belched their way to an unconvincing win, leaving us all to wonder if the Munster teams, bar Limerick, are much of a muchness.
Today in the Gaelic Grounds will tell us much more and could make or break Championship 2022. If Limerick batter Waterford as they did Cork, it looks as if it will be just a procession for them all the way to the Hogan Stand in July.
In a way, last weekend’s narrow escape against Tipp was a good thing for Liam Cahill and Co as it will have dampened down the hype in Waterford, much of it promoted by their former players and manager.
Promote
The most nonsensical aspect of this hype is that they have the best panel of players of any team, including Limerick.
I just wish that someone would put those who promote this on the spot by asking them who these players are and how they’ve proven themselves to be so good.
After all, a very limited but earnest Clare team beat Waterford in the Championship last year when many of these socalled panel stars were playing.
They then just barely scraped past Laois, beat a Galway team in disarray by just four points, before accounting for a dispirited and ageing Tipp team in the quarter-finals.
Then, of course, they were filleted by Limerick by 11 points in the semi-final. That’s the same margin as was between Limerick and Cork last Sunday.
Notion
So where did this populist notion of a great panel come from? I can only presume that it’s a myth promoted by pundits and commentators who still believe that playing well in the League means something.
No player and no team has a claim to be top intercounty standard until proving themselves against the best in Championship hurling. Right now, the best by a country mile are Limerick.
Based on these criteria, can you name a Waterford team that can be guaranteed to dominate their men this evening? Because I can’t.
Their current goalkeeper, Sean O’Brien, makes the occasional faux pas but he’s a good shot stopper. However, his puckouts and ball distribution are Second Division compared to Quaid.
The full-back line of Conor Gleeson, Conor Prunty and Shane McNulty is the best they have, but in my view Prunty is short of pace and prone to giving away frees.
Limerick have the two best corner-backs in the game in Sean Finn and Barry Nash and Mike Casey is back to his aggressive best at number three.
Waterford’s best half-back line would be Iarlaith Daly, Tadhg de Burca and Callum Lyons, although Cahill seems intent on playing Jack Fagan at wing-back — probably because he is better at going forward.
Remember
We must remember that de Burca was taken for five points by Padraig Walsh in Nowlan Park earlier this year and for four last Sunday by Noel McGrath. He’s far from his best, as of yet. Cian Lynch will provide an even bigger test.
For all the talk, just what have Waterford done?
But i t’s at midfield t hat Waterford really need to step up. Dominating W illiam O’Donoghue and the hard-working Darragh O’Donovan is a very tall order as they are Limerick’s version of the demolition squad.
Carthach Daly has the physique and engine to be effective here, although he was poor last Sunday. But I feel that Cahill should put it up to Gleeson to prove himself a player of real substance once and for all by taking on O’Donoghue.
He has the physique to match him and much more skill.
I’m sure that Cahill will probably go with Neil Montgomery, Jack Prendergast and Patrick Curran in the half-forward line.
Curran scored four points from play last Sunday off Seamus Kennedy and is at last threatening to deliver on his great talent. His skill and movement may tell against Dan Morrissey, who looked, in my view, slow when facing his own goal last time.
Advantage
Prendergast needs to use his head better to take advantage of Declan Hannon’s deep positioning and it’s hard to see Montgomery getting much ball off the outstanding Diarmuid Byrnes.
Shane Bennett had a complete off day against James Quigley and didn’t score from play so he will need great help from Hutchinson who scored 1-3 from play last Sunday off very little possession.
I think Cahill should play Jamie Barron at corner-forward with a roving role. He went in there in the final in 2020 and looked dangerous, even when the game was lost.
I think he just hasn’t the legs any longer to last under the Limerick midfield’s relentless pressure for 70-plus minutes and keeping Sean Finn separated from Mike Casey would give the other forwards opportunities to score goals, something Waterford will need.
Even with that, Waterford don’t have a team of proven Championship quality, let alone a proven panel but a win this evening would be a massive step and provide the confidence that they could do it in bigger games against Limerick in the summer.
Complete
A time comes from every team where their development is complete and they’ve run out of excuses and they must take a step forward and win.
2022 is that time for this Waterford team. They mustn’t allow themselves to be overrun. They must come out with hope for the summer, even if they don’t win.
Still, even if they do play at their best, it’s very difficult to oppose the champions, so Limerick to win.