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

DiscoStew wrote: »

Surely Waterford clubs get a greater allocation than Clare. I’d be amazed if we gave them much more than enough for the season ticket holders, maybe enough to double that but I don’t see why we should accommodate them any further than that. Would be foolish to when there will be demand for tickets in Waterford, or at least I’m hoping there will. Attendances so far wouldn’t back up my thoughts here though.

It's an odd way of approaching things. Are there over 5,000 folk in Clare willing to traipse across the length of the province when they'll have three games on their own doorstep coming up? I can see a lot of returns and a mad scramble on the day. In fact, I'm counting on it.

Good workout against Carlow the other night. Great to see Darragh Fives back in action and Maurice motoring well also.
3.30 to 21pts

cul beag wrote: »

Good workout against Carlow the other night. Great to see Darragh Fives back in action and Maurice motoring well also.
3.30 to 21pts

Cheers for the update, appreciate it. Good to hear D Fives back, did any of the other walking wounded feature? Any more challenge matches coming up that you know of?

Its getting real boys, cctv has been installed at Walsh Park! Must be expecting crowd trouble :-)

cul beag wrote: »

Good workout against Carlow the other night. Great to see Darragh Fives back in action and Maurice motoring well also.
3.30 to 21pts

I thought there was no county sessions allowed for April ?

deiseach wrote: »

Is that you, Ned Quinn?

Sssssssh

DiscoStew wrote: »

There surely is. April for Clubs is farcical at best. Waterford county board to be fair make some effort with it and attempted to play 2 rounds of hurling and football, with one hurling round lost due to the league final.
But some counties continue to train collectively, play only league games and make the county players available for these games, thus adhering to the April for Clubs..

I think the whole panel are off to Portugal on Monday

mickmackmcgoo wrote: »

Obviously on a sightseeing holiday

On a serious note, Wasnt there counties banned and/or fined for not adhering to 'April for clubs' last year? What exactly is the story with it?

Based on the games I saw during last week’s round of the Waterford club senior hurling championship, there are several players who are not on the county senior hurling panel who are better than some of those who are on the panel. The players who particularly impressed me were Dungarvan’s Kieran Power, Abbeyside’s Neil Montgomery, De La Salle’s Jack Fagan and no fewer than four Lismore players – John and Paudie Prendergast, Ray Barry and Iarlaith Daly (I have no connection with this club).

Waterford could do with a physically strong and forceful player in the full forward line, and on the basis of his performance in the game between De La Salle and Lismore, Fagan seems capable of filling that role. He made the key contribution in turning this game around when defeat seemed to be in prospect for De La Salle.

While I am well aware of Ray Barry’s hurling abilities, I had never seen him play in the full forward role before and he was very impressive in the same game, getting out to the ball first and using it very well. Again, based on this performance, I would see him as an overall better option for a corner forward position than some of these who featured in this position during the league.

I have long been of the view that, if Waterford are to be serious All-Ireland contenders, they need a more dominating wing back than Philip Mahony. Mahony is good at tidying up play and passing the ball around, but he doesn’t have the mobility, drive or ball-winning ability of wing backs such as Padraig Mannion, Cillian Buckley or Diarmuid Byrne. John Prendergast possesses the physicality and combativeness required in this position. If I remember correctly, he did get a start with the Waterford seniors shortly after he moved up from minor in a league game against Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn but got a nasty leg injury in that game and disappeared from view thereafter. On the basis of the De La Salle game, he still possesses the abilities which marked him out as a prospect in his underage days.

Incidentally, the same game has surely demonstrated that wing forward is Maurice Shanahan’s best position. Derek McGrath had a tendency to play him in a full forward position (usually on his own) and in my view this position does not suit him at all, as he lacks the physicality to win ball and take on defences in tight situations. Wing forward suits him much better as it gives him space to use his long stride to get free of markers and run at defences.

A key general weakness in Waterford hurling at the moment is a lack of players able to win aerial ball. There are certain players in Waterford who possess this ability, such as Michael Harney, DJ Foran and John Paul Lucey. I am surprised that Harney in particular, who was an outstanding wing back at minor and under 21 level, has not made progress at senior level. Players such as these should, in my view, have been made special project players with a view to developing their overall skill levels. However, Waterford does not appear to have the kind of coaching set-up which identifies future needs, either in general skill levels, or in particular positions, and then puts special long-term measures in place to address these needs.

The big question, of course, as Waterford prepare for the championship, is how best to utilise Austin Gleeson’s outrageous talent. Playing him in the half forwards is not achieving this. He does make excellent contributions, but these occur haphazardly and too infrequently, and much of the time the game just passes him by. He does not appear to have the capacity to visualise how plays are likely to develop and get into position to impact on these plays.

It is possible that Waterford could develop a game plan designed to get the ball to Gleeson in situations where he can inflict maximum damage on the opposition. But this probably depends on Waterford establishing a platform of possession to put such a plan into effect. The fact remains that Gleeson demonstrated an ability at underage level to absolutely dominate games from the centre back position. I am reminded of the Munster minor hurling semi-final against Cork in 2013 when things were going badly for Waterford until Gleeson decided that something had to be done and virtually turned the tide single-handedly (although I would add that the introduction of DJ Foran in the second half of that game was a second key factor in forging Waterford’s victory). I am also reminded of the Munster Under 21 final in 2016 against Tipperary when, after an indifferent first half on Waterford’s part, Gleeson produced an astounding second half performance which was the key contributor to Tipperary being blown away.

Some people have argued that Gleeson isn’t suited to centre back because he is not a man marker. The last thing you want Gleeson to be doing at centre back is marking someone. We have plenty of other players who can do that. Gleeson should be given his head to attack the ball and drive forward, with the likes of Tadhg de Búrca, Darragh Fives and Kevin Moran perfectly capable of providing cover when he does so. Gleeson has also shown an ability to send superb ball into his forwards, an ability which can best be utilised from the centre back position.

A final question: whatever happened to Seamus Keating? Keating impressed in Waterford’s final championship game against Cork last year and seemed to be on the threshold of moving into contention for a place on the team. He has not been seen since.

Excellent post Giveitfong and would agree whole heatredly with many of the points raised particularly ;

a) Placing of Shanahan at wing forward - much more suited to that position and also gives us better ball winning ability there
b) the possibility of Gleeson at Center back - causes much more problems for opposition as can they afford to leave him free with his ability to drive forward and delivery of ball.
c) The likes of Ray Barry and Jack Fagan as real alternatives in the full forward line. While we have quite a few options all of them tend to be quite similar style
d) The additional options the likes of the Prendergasts, Harney and Seamus Keating would give us in he half back line

Not sure what the story is as sometimes lads are just not wiling to give the commitment required, which is understandable given the fact that they are asked to put their lives on hold, but I would hope that Pauric will have a closer look at these over the coming 12 months as he settles in and continues to freshen up the squad.

Giveitfong wrote: »

Based on the games I saw during last week’s round of the Waterford club senior hurling championship, there are several
.......A key general weakness in Waterford hurling at the moment is a lack of players able to win aerial ball. There are certain players in Waterford who possess this ability, such as Michael Harney, DJ Foran and John Paul Lucey.

Great post as usual Giveitfong but I have to disagree re DJ Foran. Yes he is a big tall lad but I have seen him several times now being totally ineffective in this very roll. In fact for a lad of his size he is very reluctant to get in under the dropping ball and often tends to drift out of the play looking for the easy pass. I think management tried to give him every chance during the league but it's telling by the league final they had given up on that tactic. Nothing against him just think he's not at the level.

Mastermcgrath wrote: »

RIP Pat O’Sullivan, and sympathies to his wide circle of famiy, friends and all involved in Ballygunner GAA.

Let it be said, the man WAS Ballygunner

Well said, and he was much more than just a hurling man.