Waterford GAA Thread - Mod note post #1

I was critical of Queally and Shanahan last week against Cork I was furious with the display but ya have to give the management group credit after today. We are not a million miles off the other teams. I don't think Queally should continue but I do have sympathy for him after that performance. Its just the lack of consistency that drives me mad with this management group. We should be playing 1A hurling next year. We were unlucky not to get something out of it today. You cannot fault anyone today. Paddy Leavy done an outstanding job on Gillane I can't remember seen Gillane as quiet as he was today. The management team have blooded some excellent young players over the last 2 years. Conor Keane was very good again today and that sideline in the second half from Aussie was outstanding to see. I really have belief in this panel of players and we are only going to get better

Sean Power would have been a far better choice than Paraic Fanning in 2019. Our u21s played a fantastic style of hurling under him. We put up some fight against a strong Cork team in our only u21 game in 2018. I would give it to Jason Ryan he could get the best out of this group alongside O'Rourke. Our hurling needs a small improvement. Again today we gave one or two wayward passes. As I said we have the players and there's more players coming and also more to come from the group that's there already

Just watched the Sunday game analysis. Utter shite if you ask me. Dalo with a cheap shot at Aussie for celebrating point from sideline cut and then Cummins vaguely mentioning the dropped hurley for the second goal handpass. That was the crucial score in the game!... Thankfully with us out I won't be watching much more of this crap!

My point is that I wouldn’t be moving Queally out unless there was someone really obvious to step in, but if Queally is to step aside of his own accord I expect Ryan would be a candidate. Anyway isn’t he back with Ballygunner for the coming season so that would effectively rule him out of the reckoning?

It's White and blue, always has been.

Does anyone else think the waterford panel every season seems to have a disproportionate amount of injury prone players……..?

Definitely! I touched on it in my previous post. I believe two of our starting defenders could be controversially dropped next year. Peter would get serious questions over it but we’d very likely not have those players available when it matters anyway… so isn’t it wiser to plan that way? Fully fit players over injured lads any day for me! (Bennett and Aussie being exceptions but you need a fit stable defense)

On Dalo… shocking comment. Limerick put to the pin of their collar for an hour and that’s his analysis?? And RTE slowing down Aussie’s finger wag too. It was a completely irrelevant moment. I hope he’ll make a big deal of Tony Kelly fist pumping the stand next time Clare lose.

Barry Coughlan isn’t even playing club hurling any more. Surely you can’t be serious

Waterford should have 6 points should have won in ennis and also should have beaten tipp and cork yesterday was not there downfall.

Is anyone else getting sick to death of complaining

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2026/0518/1573927-waterford-schedule-sticks-in-shanahans-craw/

""The bigger fish always get the break. We don't get any breaks," said Shanahan. "We haven't had any luck with them decisions. As long as this competition has been going on, we've never had a home game last."

Regarding Dan's point, the previous two campaigns, our opening two games were at home, win both and the 3rd and 4th game probably don't matter. I think have both opening games at home is a far greater advantage.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/queally-waterford-fans-should-be-watching-the-dessie-hutchinsons-and-the-mark-fitzgeralds-not-the-soccer-world-cup/a/151880350.html

"Waterford fans should be watching the Dessie Hutchinsons and the Mark Fitzgeralds – not the soccer World Cup"

Regarding Peter's point, they can watch the dessie's and Fitz's, club championship will be in full swing, and they can see them in the flesh, meet them after the game.

I grew up and played hurling as a kid/teen throughout the 80s and 90s, when Waterford played one championship game most years. It never dampened my flame for hurling.

I had Waterford idols, other county idols and club idols. I wanted to be the next Nicky English or DJ Carey (I wasn't good enough but it didn't stop me dreaming).

Once hurling is giving proper air time and kids get to see intercounty games on the telly it will inspire them.

Oh i Dunno , i reckon you're a bit better than DJ …

I agree it needs changing/tweaking but for the past 2-3 years it has been a "poor us" kind of arguement.

Unfortunately when you can't qualify like us, even with the best intentions in the world it will come across and be portrayed as "poor us, it needs to change to suit us"

I think there are better ways to put across the arguement rather than after defeat or failure to qualify.

For 20 years you had a system when your beaten in the Munster championship your then back into the AI series through the back door, now they’ve changed it and given so much more power back to the provincial championships that you get no ticket into the AI series when your out of Munster. It just feels like a massive step backwards for us because we’re stuck in purgatory in this annual group of death. I do think we’ve had no luck whatsoever with injuries and certain decisions going against us but the bottom line is we’re still just that bit short of the other 4 counties and that has been fairly consistent as results show over the past few years.
personally I think Queally has done a fantastic job and if anything he has us punching above our weight a bit going toe to toe with the other Munster counties. The man has Waterford hurling running through his veins and the passion he has is is clear with how much the players have put in for him over the past 2 years.
Unfortunately it’s a results business and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him step away. His interview was interesting he said ‘he hopes this group of lads stick together whatever happens’ talking like a fan again rather than their manager. Queally is a competitor and no mug and won’t want to go a third term with similar heartbreak of just missing out on qualifying again.

I hope I’m wrong as I think we need to hold onto him if we can I think we’ll be very close with him again next year.

He is also honest head, I have no doubt he had planned two qualify out of munster within the two years and the fact he didn't has him deflated and hence why he is saying he hope's the lads stick together as he himself would feel he has let himself, the panel, the board and the county down as you know he is the kinda fella who holds himself accountable.

I am sure if he takes a few weeks as does the county board to let things settle, review with clear heads, both Peter and the board will come to their own honest conclusions.

The few weeks allows him to reset and see if he has it in him to go again, as the time and effort these lads put in is off the charts, especially balancing it all with work, family and other commitments, especially when you are not winning it must be mentally and physically draining.

You have nailed it on the head with "we’re stuck in purgatory in this annual group of death" sums it up perfectly. We are just that bit short but not having a chance to regroup against a similar quality opposition in Leinster for example is a bit soul destroying. Unfortunately if this losing run continues it will turn people away from the game. I definitely can see a reduction in interest in hurling with my wider group of friends over the last couple of years.

In relation to the championship structure, the format currently falls off after a couple of rounds. Quarter finals have now become low key affairs for some reason recently. I know people will think I'm saying this because we haven't qualified but genuinely even if we had, the structure is just not right. I mean the league is meaningless now. Why couldn't a provincial and all Ireland series be introduced as a replacement!