Waterford GAA thread - mod warning post #1 and #51

Tramore84

Am going to head up to the match on Sunday, our best days in the last 20 years have been in Semple and I consider it to be our real home. Plus, I love the surrounding area.

Deisedozzer

Gavlor wrote: »

That has to be the worst post on the Waterford forum and god knows there’s been some muck on here.

So thurles town Centre, the docks in cork, ennis road are akin to Beverly Hills?

What a cock.

Pretty pathetic that you have to resort to insults in relation to an opinion, I hope it made you feel better about yourself sitting behind your keyboard.

In my view the areas I mentioned are better in terms of a pre match atmosphere and build up than the surrounds of Walsh Park, I don't think that's a particularly controversial statement nor it it an uncommon opinion among supporters.

In relation to the other poster, I made no reference to people anywhere, I am unlikely to come on here and slate people from my own county. If you don't like my opinion fair enough but don't put words in my mouth. Personally I think the county would be better served by County grounds in either Carriganore or Dungarvan but we know the latter would never happen with our East/West divide.

Giveitfong

I have long held the view that, despite Derek McGrath’s coaching/tactical incompetence, Waterford have still managed to enjoy reasonable success under his management due the team’s high skill levels and work rate. On the rare occasions when this high work rate has not been forthcoming, we have been whipped by teams with good skills, commitment and game plans. This happened against Cork in last year’s Munster championship and in the previous year’s Munster Final. And it happened again last Sunday in Limerick.

I have always found Derek McGrath’s many media interviews to be quite baffling. In last Monday’s Irish Examiner, he paid tribute to Limerick’s movement, their short game and their ability to create space, but didn’t explain why Waterford had none of these.

He also suggested that Waterford had overdone the man-for-man stuff when in fact one of Waterford’s main problems was that they didn’t do enough of it. Time after time Limerick got players in acres of space with no marker anywhere near them. There was no evidence of any preparation for the kind of game Limerick play.

In my last post I wrote that Waterford would be going up against a Limerick team which is much better organised and coached. Add in their much higher level of alertness and work rate and Waterford never had a chance. At times it looked as though Limerick had 18 players on the pitch. Every time a Waterford player got the ball he was immediately surrounded by three Limerick players. By contrast, every time a Limerick player got the ball he always had at least two loose players available to take a pass.

Writing in Tuesday’s Irish Times, Jim McGuinness described as “crazy” the way Down persevered with long kickouts in their championship game against Donegal, who were winning them all. It was the same with Waterford’s perseverance with long puckouts against Limerick’s powerful halfbacks. McGrath pushed Kevin Moran forward in the hope of winning some of these puckouts but the end result was to take probably our most influential leader out of the game. On the odd occasion when Waterford did get possession from one of their own puckouts, they were immediately put under pressure and unable to deliver decent ball to the inside line.

The obvious response was to take short puckouts, work the ball to midfield and hit the ball in over the Limerick half backs. On several occasions Shane McNulty made himself available for a short puckout out on the wing, but Stephen O’Keeffe repeatedly ignored him and hit the ball long.

By contrast, when Limerick had a puckout, their half forwards bunched in the middle of the pitch, and as Nicky Quaid prepared to strike, they spread out in a highly organised way which time after time found the ball landing in a Limerick player’s hand with nobody near him. This gave the player in question all the time in the world to play good ball into their full forward line who made full use of this quality supply.

Derek McGrath’s response was to take off two of his full forwards at half time. This is like the old story of the junior hurling corner forward who gets no ball at all because his team are being beaten up a stick out the field. When a ball finally comes through to him he fumbles it and is immediately taken off.

Another example of McGrath’s inability to manage games was his decision to bring on Shane McNulty when Shane Fives got injured. McNulty was simply unequipped to mark the much more physically robust Shane Dowling. The only other defender on the bench, Ian Kenny, is at least used to playing in the fullback line and knows how to tackle. Why was he on the bench if he was not regarded as being up to the job?

For me, the obvious move would have been to shift Philip Mahony back to mark Dowling and bring Kevin Moran back to the half back line where he would surely have been more effective than in the forwards. It is also noteworthy that the player who was removed from the bench to make way for the returning Moran was another defender, Seamus Keating. This means that of the ten outfield players on the bench, just two were defenders.

McGrath’s irresponsible failure to use the league to strengthen his squad came back to haunt him. Contrast this with Brian Cody, who blooded a lot of young new players in the league and pushed the team hard to get the players concerned as close as possible to the required level. Some of them failed to make the grade but several did and are now showing the benefits of those early year efforts.

It is hard to believe that there are still people posting here who want McGrath to stay on, despite the blinding evidence that he is not up to the job. What has he achieved this year? A couldn’t-care-less attitude to the league leading to relegation. Two listless championship performances out of three. Twelve pointed frees conceded against Tipperary and thirteen against Limerick, reflecting major disciplinary issues.

McGrath was undoubtedly unlucky with injuries, but he made no provision for the possibility that this could happen. There has been no new blood, and he has persisted with favourite players who are not up to it (and who presumably are leading the campaign to have him retained as manager).

We need a new management team which will start from scratch with a three-year mandate and which will sweep the county for all players with ability and potential (something like Pat Gilroy did with Dublin this year). It is a pity that this team will not be in position to monitor a club championship which, for once, will not be played in a pressure-cooker environment.

The other issue, of course, is whether the County Board will put procedures in place to ensure that we get a management team of the quality which our current crop of players needs and deserves. The past record is not reassuring in this respect.

Gavlor

https://twitter.com/waterfordgaa/status/1007749034633781248?s=21

Decent team for the intermediate game, when is the senior team announced?

PTH2009

Gavlor wrote: »

https://twitter.com/waterfordgaa/status/1007749034633781248?s=21

Decent team for the intermediate game, when is the senior team announced?

What an odd team

Why drop Soky ???

I knw it's a dead rubber but we could get hammered

thesultan

Deiseen wrote: »

deiseach wrote: »

Deiseen wrote: »

And then in 10 years we will be stuck with the worst stadium in Ireland again...

Why dont they target the next RWC bid? Go to government and say we want to build a decent 30,000+ stadium and we need funds to do it. This will be another decent stadium in a city which can only help the bid. I know 30,000+ might sound excessive to some but this is what we should be aiming for, not a cellotape and plaster job of a dirthole.

Any government that supported another RWC bid and/or gave money to the GAA to build another 30,000+ capacity stadium in Munster would deserve to be absolutely hammered at the election that followed.

I get where your coming from but populations are going up. waterford is expected to have a particularly high population growth.

15,000-25,000 will not be fit for purpose in 10 years.

Waterford have a core support of three thousand.it will fit them fine

JesusRef

thesultan wrote: »

Waterford have a core support of three thousand.it will fit them fine

I think it is funny that people are hammering the county board for Walsh Park, but before this year it would have been crazy to develop it.
People just don't to Club games in Waterford, our senior county finals have a poor attendance.

In fact most of the stadiums aren't required at all, let's face it anyone watching Gaa for the first time on sky for a lot of the games must think does anyone actually go to these games? Nothing but empty seats and terraces.

15000 would be a great fit, it might never be filled I suspect but would make for a good Atmosphere.

Crusty Blaa

PTH2009 wrote: »

What an odd team

Why drop Soky ???

I knw it's a dead rubber but we could get hammered

Only guessing but maybe it’s Iggy’s last involvement with the panel? He’s been knocking around the panel for 14 odd years now, mainly as a sub.

KevIRL

Crusty Blaa wrote: »

Only guessing but maybe it’s Iggy’s last involvement with the panel? He’s been knocking around the panel for 14 odd years now, mainly as a sub.

For a lad who loves retiring off players am surprised pth didn't pick up on that.

Team largely as expected, I would think McGrath isn't too thrilled about playing gleeson in particular considering he's only at about 60% but may have been fearful of allegations of not taking the game seriously if he didn't start him. Personally would have started Seamus Keating at 6 and also found a space for dj Foran

Fred C Dobbs

PTH2009 wrote: »

What an odd team

Why drop Soky ???

I knw it's a dead rubber but we could get hammered

A. We’re not going to be hammered, unless our performance is as bad as last week.
B. So what if we are.
C. Think this might be Iggyy’s 3rd ever start in the championship (first in AI semi 2004), so he’s entitled to his day in the sun.

ps
Very surprised that Aussie is starting seeing how unfit/injured he looked last week ;
Waterford 5/1 to win tomorrow

Gavlor

No issue with iggy playing but it’s a rubbish team that really highlights the lack of dept on the panel.

At least 6 players that are average club players never mind of top intercounty standard.

Motivator

Gavlor wrote: »

No issue with iggy playing but it’s a rubbish team that really highlights the lack of dept on the panel.

At least 6 players that are average club players never mind of top intercounty standard.

Fairly harsh comment to be honest. Iggy aside, the 14 others are far from rubbish. Your comment could be due the fact that some of them only get around 10 mins of game time every year and we haven’t seen anything from them. Dunford was very good his first two years on the panel then disappeared. Tommy Ryan has been one of our best players off the bench the last two seasons - a case could be made for O’Hallorran to fall into the same bracket. We don’t know anything about Ian Kenny at this level yet and the rest of the team, bar Conor Gleeson, started the All Ireland final last year.

I’d rather McGrath changed the whole starting 15 and give the lads who have busted their arses training all year a start in the Championship. Some of them might not be there next year and the game means nothing so give them some sort of reward for hanging around.

JeffKenna

I thought McGrath should have swapped the full 15 (bar Brick) and gave those who haven't started this year a run. They need some reward.

Gavlor

Motivator wrote: »

Fairly harsh comment to be honest. Iggy aside, the 14 others are far from rubbish. Your comment could be due the fact that some of them only get around 10 mins of game time every year and we haven’t seen anything from them. Dunford was very good his first two years on the panel then disappeared. Tommy Ryan has been one of our best players off the bench the last two seasons - a case could be made for O’Hallorran to fall into the same bracket. We don’t know anything about Ian Kenny at this level yet and the rest of the team, bar Conor Gleeson, started the All Ireland final last year.

I’d rather McGrath changed the whole starting 15 and give the lads who have busted their arses training all year a start in the Championship. Some of them might not be there next year and the game means nothing so give them some sort of reward for hanging around.

My comment has to do with watching club games over the past few years. Like I said, 6 of the 15 are average club players.

Motivator

Gavlor wrote: »

My comment has to do with watching club games over the past few years. Like I said, 6 of the 15 are average club players.

Who are the 6?

Gavlor

Motivator wrote: »

Who are the 6?

I’m not naming names. Amateur players and all that but it won’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the weaker players on that 15.

Motivator

Gavlor wrote: »

I’m not naming names. Amateur players and all that but it won’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the weaker players on that 15.

If you’re going to belittle players then at least have the balls to back up your comments and name them.

Blaas4life

Motivator wrote: »

If you’re going to belittle players then at least have the balls to back up your comments and name them.

Noone trying to belittle anyone....but it takes some serious partisan glasses to believe everyone on that team is of intercounty standred


I've no problems with the way it is,for a dead rubber game...but it's hopefully mcgrath last game as a manager and just strikes me as just deosnt care about the result.....we have a chance to finish above tipp in the group like

Gavlor

Motivator wrote: »

If you’re going to belittle players then at least have the balls to back up your comments and name them.

Would that not lead to me belittling individual players?

Deiseen

Id say there a few positions that could be improved on but l dont think there are many, if any, lads that outright don't deserve to be there.

PTH2009

So hard to predict the minor game 2morrow

Deff exceeding expectations when you consider the way we played vs Clare the first day out. We could end up being ****e 2morrow or end up being brillent

Really hoping for a win as it's a Munster final and more hurling for the summer

Orizio

PTH2009 wrote: »

So hard to predict the minor game 2morrow

Deff exceeding expectations when you consider the way we played vs Clare the first day out. We could end up being ****e 2morrow or end up being brillent

Really hoping for a win as it's a Munster final and more hurling for the summer

You should win by ten points plus, the Cork Minors are shockingly poor.

PTH2009

Best of luck to both teams today

Safe travel for those few going

KevIRL

Bad auld day for it, left early this morning as stopping in KK for a bit before journeying on. Weather improved as we went north but still not great. Think the crowd will be more like a league match than a championship match today. Might not even get to 10K

KevIRL

Nice not to be on the fukking limerick road for a change today

parish girl

Here on Thurles. Crown small, about 50 to 1 cork to Waterford support. Could be a long day. A minor win and a good day for Brick would do nicely.

Deiseen

KevIRL wrote: »

Bad auld day for it, left early this morning as stopping in KK for a bit before journeying on. Weather improved as we went north but still not great. Think the crowd will be more like a league match than a championship match today. Might not even get to 10K

Could have had it in Walsh Park....

PTH2009

**** minors struggling

KevIRL

9 behind and down to 14 men

Deisegodeo

Really up against it now, man down and losing by 9 points. Have hit enough wides to win 2 games unfortunately