Waterford GAA Discussion Thread 3 ***Updated Mod Note Post 1***

hurler on de ditch wrote: »

agreed about Dillon ,but he(Mc Grath) has gotten very little right and an awful lot wrong these last two years

Sweet Jesus, you seriously saying Mcgrath has got a lot wrong the last few years?

Honestly, he's managed a team who won the league last year, got to an all ireland semi, and back in the league final while blooding a heap of new players the last few years.

You should stay on the ditch because your talking sh1te.

waterford28 wrote: »

Brick ... sets up the most scores in the team, wins the most ball.

I'd love to see the stats on it. He has been a great player for us no doubt, but a 33 year old forward who (almost) never scores? He didn't play against Galway when effectively our B team was played, and we still drew. I don't think it's unrealistic to ask if someone else might come in and pose more of a scoring threat and still compete for possession etc.

Lads. Talk about silly season. Some load of sh--e been spoken off in here. We've lost 1 league match in the last 2 years. Got to semi of championship last year. This years championship not started yet. Derek and his team need 100% support from all. Believe in what's his trying to achieve. Maybe it will land the big one maybe not. It will not be from the lack of commitment and effort.

Some of the criticism of players here is over the top, but there is a certain amount of merit to it.

Dillon works tremendously hard, is good in the rucks and seems to understand the role he is being asked to play very well.
Dunford works equally as hard, has great turn of pace and better than Dillon to take a score. I don't think Dunfords been as threatening as last year but in many games he has actually lined out at midfield, especially before we had both Darragh Fives and De Burca in the side. His shooting can leave a little to be desired at times.
Moran after a tremendous season last has struggled this year I feel. He lined out at wing back for much of the year until Fives and De Burca were both available. Where he played the last day I couldn't specifically say other than around the middle. We really need him to get back to last years level to push on for the All Ireland.
Gleeson is also a player suffering as a result of not playing a settled position I feel. Last year he was sensational at wing back. This year he has played almost in front of the sweeper but behind midfield up until the 2 lads were both in the side. He has also played at midfield and been tried as an inside forward. I think we need to decide now where he will play and play him there, hopefully he can push on from last year then.

Essentially, at least as I see it, this is how we line out:

SOK

Noel Coughlan S. Fives

Darragh

Philip. Tadhg

Gleeson

Barron Moran

Dunford Dillon

Brick

Shane Bennett. Curran


Obviously forwards interchange regularly but it's along those lines we set up, sometimes there's only one man left inside which is obviously more frustrating to watch.

How is changes to incorporate Maurice will be interesting, Dillon or Dunford are the most likely but you could easily make cases for others and moving a few people around.
I don't think we will see Pauric Mahony at the level he was last year any time soon. One or two here constantly wishing for him to start need to see that he is not at the level of some of the other subs currently. Devine, O'Halloran and Ryan all played well when introduced, although admittedly the game had opened up and wasn't as tactical at that stage.

There is certainly players who have room to improve, some who are sacrificing themselves to allow others to shine, but the most encouraging thing for me is that we have plenty options now and most players are replaceable. We saw the impact our bench had last weekend and I think showing more faith in those boys could yield greater rewards.

hurler on de ditch wrote: »

yep we won a league,yes we are in another final ,oh and we got to another semi final.lets hope we win tomorrow,but if i saw hurling or success the way you do ,through your rose tinted glasses ,well that would be sad,the all Ireland semi last year where we were buried after 4 minutes into the second half,he has little learned since then ,only to be more negative ,we by anyone standards are now playing the worst of hurling of any in the country bar none ,

Lets hope we turn it on tomorrow. We can't be choosy as in what competition we want to win and tomorrow is a national title so as supporters let hope we retain the league title. But I'm at a stage now where its a case of agree to differ as the system isn't going to change but I feel your pain!

dubcat51 wrote: »

Good to hear waterford supporters not likeing the system.
I understand the management don't care what anyone thinks.but I would say where once waterford where a lot of people's 2nd team they are now the team no one outside waterford roots for.for hurling sake the tactics employed by waterford and clare must not succeed. As a cat I hope galway Welford or even tipp win before waterford. Doesn't give me pleasure to say that because you have some great hurlers who would in my opinion do well if let play.

There is plenty of people who like the system. I have 100% confidence in Mcgrath and the way we play. The system is changing, and as the likes of Curran and Devine come more into it we can play a more conventional game WHEN required.

Another thing, all the s1t talk that Waterford came up with the system is a joke. The cats were the first ones to bring their half forwards back behind the ball and the swarming tactic v Cork.

Waterford have got used to this system and will continue to tweek it to more attacking as we have the players.
I think we have a great arsenal at the moment and I for one am confident of the year ahead.

Up the Deise and Mr Mcgrath!

HillFarmer wrote: »

My glasses are far from Rosy.
And in the All Ireland semi last year do you realy think if we went conventional 15 on 15 with the cats we would have done better? We were lucky enough not to leave in a few more goals.

The players have built confidence and experience since then and now possibly we could take them on 15 on 15 but imo not last year.
Agree to disagree we all want Waterford to do well, but to start slating Mgrath imo is nonsense.

lads obv derek is looking at the donegal model , sort the defence first and use that as a platform to build attack , we're more or
less at the point where the attack are bulding off the attack, but the loss of maurice and mahony hurt the plan ,we're on the verge of something great here, just wait and see

Good interview with Derek McGrath on Friday night's Off the Ball show on Newstalk.

He comes across as an honest and likeable guy.

http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/Off_The_Ball_Highlights/138323/Derek_McGrath_ahead_of_the_league_final_replay

Robbed! Farce of a free, ref a complete joke giving them soft frees all day, We were the better team but crap ref cost us the match.

Sickened by that, to loose to the better team you hold your hand up and say fair play, to loose because of a shocking ref is hard to stomach.

Absolutely gutted and sickened is the right word.

Dick phelan wrote:

Ref gifted ye the match, joke of a free near the end, was looking to give ye a shot to level it, We were the better team ref cost us the game hopefully we have someone who can actually ref the next day.

Dick phelan wrote:

Sickened by that, to loose to the better team you hold your hand up and say fair play, to loose because of a shocking ref is hard to stomach.

Ye stepped off the gas big time 5 minutes from full got great respect for that WD team but ye lacked the killer instinct 2 day

Can't wait 4 the next 1