Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

I’ll simplify it even more for ya… we’re f***d.

Even the Waterford Co Board know that Davy is not an option to be appointed again after the absolute sh!tshow that was his second term of management.

Personally I would never go to a Waterford game ever again if he was (re)appointed. He is a cancer on the game.

Honestly, I’m disappointed—though sadly not surprised—to see the absolute state of this forum tonight. The mindless insults and personal name-calling directed at the management and the lads after the Cork game is just rancid stuff.

​I, for one, was unbelievably proud of that Waterford performance. We were up against a side everyone has tipped for the All-Ireland, and we pushed them to the pin of their collars.

​We lost three key players in the first 25 minutes. That didn’t just hurt us then... it killed our bench. We had less fresh legs to spring in the final quarter because the subs were already used up.

​We created three genuine goal opportunities that just didn't go our way.

​You can’t fault the heart, the work rate, or the setup today. Cut the lads and management some slack...…

I never felt the ref influenced the 2 previous games, yes was unhappy with the pen v tipp bit generally the games were reffed as fair as you can ask in the helter skelter of munster hurling. The feeling at half time in the corner of the ground we were was we were getting very little. 50/50 calls did not go our way. I think the lads have performed admirably against the impending AI champions, but we do not get the calls. Stevie was hauled down last year in pairc ui chaoimh when in on goal, no cards dished out. Limerick can pretty much assault players no cards, the inconsistency would drive any man insane

Still one game to go and all but out so where has it gone wrong.

I believe our first touch, Corks first touch today was far superior to ours. That has been a common theme with Waterford since cahill.

Not naming individuals but to use Corks goal as an example. Mark Fitz did brilliant to work the ball out but then failed to rise it at two attempts, Cork gained possession and we were on the receiving end of a black card and penalty.

In the first half I counted three cork scores which came from us in scoring positions.

Unfortunately these are the right margins that mean the different in winning and not winning a game.

Far too often we are first to the ball and don't get it to hand or win possession which puts us under pressure.

I really felt, Clare, Tipp and today Cork were there for the taking and here we are on one point, I can only imagine how frustrated the players and management are.

With the exception of the first half V Tipp no one can argue against the work rate and commitment of the players and management.

We can all talk systems, players, team lineouts etc, but until we improve our first touch and decision making we will always come out second best unfortunately as fine margins are what decide the Munster championship.

Add Stephen Bennett to the list of greatest hurlers to never win an AI. How the man is even still playing is phenomenal. How he is playing to the level he is shouldn't be possible. If it's a cruciate it might sadly be the last time we see him in a Waterford Jersey.

Clare and Tipp have sold out theirs as well this season.

Another year of being close but not quite good enough. I can't see us winning in Limerick and even if we did we would need a lot of other results to happen for 3 points to be good enough to get through.

Great effort last night with injuries and refs decisions going against us. First black card was a wrong call as Cork player didn"t have possession of ball so how could it be clear goalscoring chance. The call was bad for Cork too as denied them goal when he called play back for penalty that was missed.

I'd prefer if we want back to knock out Munster championship and separate All Ireland competition like they do in football and ladies football and camogie. This would be fairer as at moment Leinster championship get same amount of places in All Ireland championship despite Munster counties winning last 8 All Irelands. Are Munster counties prepared to give up the money earned and excitement and pubicity of the round robin system though?

I’m gutted for the lads today, another phenomenal effort. Really can’t fault anyone here, players or management. Another couple of pucks of the ball, fine margins on this crazy cruel Munster championship.

I’ve mentioned here before the amount of injuries we pick up compared to other teams I do beleive there is something systematically wrong somewhere, is it the conditioning or whatever it’s just the same thing every year we’re decimated by the end of the championship and we can’t cope with the loss of key players. Im not educated enough to put my finger on it but something is clearly not right. If we were going up to Limerick at full strength next week I’d actually give us every chance but given the bodies were down and throw Mark Fitz suspension it looks like a handy 2 points for Limerick which is gut wrenching.

im heartbroken for Waterford hurling that weve been absolutely done over by this wretched lob sided round robin that was brought in to increase the coffers and suit the stronger counties so the likes of Cork Tipp and Kk and lose 2 games and still end up in an AI final. We’ve been completely left behind by a the system given our pool of players we are the lowest ranked county in Munster for some time that’s just a fact. And before anyone says it’s up to Waterford to get up to the level of the likes of Cork and Limerick look at the work that’s being done at underage this year was similar we were no more than a puck of the ball away in every game at minor or u20. The performance of our senior team the last 3 weeks was top class and great credit has to go to Queally and his management team in getting this team up to the required level to compete with the other 4 counties.

there’ll be a lot of lazy journalism out there again about us and our record in round robin Munster. If people closely look at our situation we are at the bottom of a mountain with this Munster championship. We are doing our best with our side of the bargain by bringing the fight and punching above our weight and giving great entertainment. Maybe it’s time we were given a bit of a break and the powers at be looked at the structure and allow us a route back into the AI championship after our what seems our inevitable annual exit at the round robin system.

The round robin system might be cruel but it's not going anywhere for the foreseeable.

Everything that could go wrong has done so this year. I think we have zero chance of beating Limerick, given the absence of too many key players and with them at full strength (will be there nevertheless).

Was positioned behind the management team yesterday and the 'chemistry' / body language between them seemed a bit off to me. There was also a fourth chap as well but don't know who he is (wasn't Shane O'Sullivan). Anyway, Peter Queally has had 2 years at the job and hasn't delivered, unfortunately.

I will go to my grave thinking the old back door system was perfect for the championship and it’s not that under the system the cream didn’t rise to the top it dam will did . And it’s not just about Waterford it’s about ever year two still strong Munster hurling counties are dumped out by middle of May . County flags are left in bottom of drawers never taking out while you used to still have something to play for in July and hurling flags flew around multiple counties !! Instead of tweaking the championship format they took a bloody sledgehammer to it .

I guarantee you would not be saying that if we did qualify.

Nope that’s nonsense the point is two good Munster teams gone mid May

so what do u want then Waterford to go into Leinster championship and maybe try get though that way. Even though two Leinster teams did beat us this year aswell. Obviously Munster is more competitive no1 has never said it wasn’t. It’s just excuse after excuse. It two years we have played 8 championship games and won 1.

I think everyone can agree that Munster and Leinster is imbalanced. That said if we can't finish 3rd in Munster then we are not good enough to win the All Ireland.

All three games this year were there for the taking. Last season we won our opening game and had 3 attempts to qualify and failed at all three.

The whole talk of Munster is a cop out. Cork and Tipp have for a long time been the top dogs in Munster, we would have been on par with the likes of Limerick and Clare, but at this point in time we are just short of being good enough and that is a cold hard fact.

Granted it's probably harder to get out of Munster than to win the All Ireland but that is where we are at, and if we are serious then we have to finish in the top three, it's as simple as that.

Two wins pretty much guarantees qualification and we just haven't been able to do that since the introduction of the round robin, put that in contrast with the old school knock out championship, you would often need to win a Munster quarter and semi final which we would be confident about, so it really is about picking two games and going hell for leather in both.