Will Waterford persist with the method that has served them so well? Cramming the midfield with a search party and leaving three up in attack (one half forward and two full forwards) put two points on the board and could have earned at least one more. It’s a strategy that requires discipline and lots of hard running with the back tracking attackers expected to return to their positions when the deliveries arrive. Numbers five to nine have won their direct conflicts to date and the snipers (Pauric Mahony and Ray Barry in particular) got their eye in against Galway to cut down on the wastage.
They are yet to meet a heavyweight opponent like Dublin however that can mix it around the middle and relish the close collisions. If there was a weigh in prior to throw in, the Sky Blues would come out on top in most categories. Liam Rushe, Ryan O’Dwyer or Conal Keaney for instance won’t be brushed off the ball as easily as the maroon men.
The starting fifteen suggests a consistency of approach. Stephen Molumphy and Shane O’Sullivan (named on the wings) tend to gravitate towards the centre in order to gather and distribute possession. Ray Barry showed in the Galway game that he is comfortable at either wing forward or corner forward. League debutant Shane McNulty offers another versatile option that can slot in from numbers 2 to 12. Prior to the start of the league, the De La Salle youngster featured at wing back against Mount Leinster Rangers. His striking appeared sharp on that night in Carraiganore and he delivered passes inside with assertiveness. Waterford swarmed in numbers but also broke swiftly into attacking mode upon seizing the ball against Galway. Derek McGrath depends on the forwards to get back into position quickly and show for the half backs and midfield when they look up.
Liam Rushe presents a fresh challenge for the wandering Pauric Mahony. The two time All Star possesses the athleticism and judgement to cause trouble if he follows Mahony out. This looseness may just play into his hands. The number eleven sets the temperature for this Waterford side so a cold afternoon would spell a Dublin downpour. He represents the link man, the supplier and the finisher. 21 points over two league games. He has to show up and he has yet to disappoint for college or county.
If the line to Mahony goes dead, the direct one to Seamus Prendergast remains the only other obvious passage. The Ardmore man again demonstrated the value of his presence on his first start and it is hard to contemplate entering championship battle without him. Derek McGrath’s comments directly after that Galway game made for interesting reading about Prendergast’s insecurity about his place in the grand scheme of things following a rusty substitute appearance in Semple Stadium. “In the analysis of last week’s game, Seamus came on and the game was at such an intensity that even a guy like Seamus, who has given so much for Waterford, had inner doubts during the week about where he was at in terms of the panel. I’m delighted for him to have that performance today and he had the full back in a lot of trouble. It was the old fashioned approach of getting it in a bit earlier and mixing it up because of the day that was in it.”If he can improve his decision making by a fraction when the path is clear to goal, Waterford’s green flag fever may become a thing of the past. On a couple of occasions against Galway, he seemed slightly uncertain when presented with the possibility. Peter Kelly will stand by his side for the afternoon. Dublin also used the direct line to Conal Keaney against Clare and he churned out 1-3. A goalless seventy is available at 9/1. If either of these goal shy teams manage to rattle one on Sunday, it is likely to come through this pair, one way or another.
Anthony Daly leans on ten of the team that started in last year’s All Ireland semi final. Paul Ryan is a surprising omission. He scored 3-32 in championship 2013. After missing a simple free in Salthill however, he was hauled off four minutes before half time. Moving in the other direction is Alan McCrabbe who returns to the fold after a year out. He has assumed the dead ball duties and returned 12 frees and a sideline cut. All Star Danny Sutcliffe injured his ankle playing with Trinity in the Ryan Cup last weekend. They buried their opening day blues up West by limiting Clare to just seven points from play in Parnell Park. Although named in the half forward line, Keaney should spend some time testing the dependability of Waterford’s last line.
If Waterford persist with the same formula, they again rely on the experienced core of the half back line, Kevin Moran at midfield along with Molumphy and O’Sullivan to win their fair share of battles. With a league quarter final potentially on the line, that area will see enough traffic to merit an announcement on AA Roadwatch. The cuteness of Michael Walsh and Pauric Mahony in particular to use that precious commodity when the gridlock is eventually negotiated will probably determine success or failure for the home side. Stephen O’Keeffe’s recall also improves the possibility of ball retention and the puck out options. His rapid thinking got WIT back on the attack in the Fitzgibbon semi final against LIT last Friday as Harry Kehoe beat the buzzer to force extra time.
In early days of January, Waterford earned a 2-24 to 3-13 challenge triumph over the Dubs in Castlecomer. The odds reflect the tightness foreseen on Sunday with Waterford shading it so far at 5/6. In a game unlikely to stop the scoreboard, anything over twenty points may prove plenty.
They are yet to meet a heavyweight opponent like Dublin however that can mix it around the middle and relish the close collisions. If there was a weigh in prior to throw in, the Sky Blues would come out on top in most categories. Liam Rushe, Ryan O’Dwyer or Conal Keaney for instance won’t be brushed off the ball as easily as the maroon men.
The starting fifteen suggests a consistency of approach. Stephen Molumphy and Shane O’Sullivan (named on the wings) tend to gravitate towards the centre in order to gather and distribute possession. Ray Barry showed in the Galway game that he is comfortable at either wing forward or corner forward. League debutant Shane McNulty offers another versatile option that can slot in from numbers 2 to 12. Prior to the start of the league, the De La Salle youngster featured at wing back against Mount Leinster Rangers. His striking appeared sharp on that night in Carraiganore and he delivered passes inside with assertiveness. Waterford swarmed in numbers but also broke swiftly into attacking mode upon seizing the ball against Galway. Derek McGrath depends on the forwards to get back into position quickly and show for the half backs and midfield when they look up.
Liam Rushe presents a fresh challenge for the wandering Pauric Mahony. The two time All Star possesses the athleticism and judgement to cause trouble if he follows Mahony out. This looseness may just play into his hands. The number eleven sets the temperature for this Waterford side so a cold afternoon would spell a Dublin downpour. He represents the link man, the supplier and the finisher. 21 points over two league games. He has to show up and he has yet to disappoint for college or county.
If the line to Mahony goes dead, the direct one to Seamus Prendergast remains the only other obvious passage. The Ardmore man again demonstrated the value of his presence on his first start and it is hard to contemplate entering championship battle without him. Derek McGrath’s comments directly after that Galway game made for interesting reading about Prendergast’s insecurity about his place in the grand scheme of things following a rusty substitute appearance in Semple Stadium. “In the analysis of last week’s game, Seamus came on and the game was at such an intensity that even a guy like Seamus, who has given so much for Waterford, had inner doubts during the week about where he was at in terms of the panel. I’m delighted for him to have that performance today and he had the full back in a lot of trouble. It was the old fashioned approach of getting it in a bit earlier and mixing it up because of the day that was in it.”If he can improve his decision making by a fraction when the path is clear to goal, Waterford’s green flag fever may become a thing of the past. On a couple of occasions against Galway, he seemed slightly uncertain when presented with the possibility. Peter Kelly will stand by his side for the afternoon. Dublin also used the direct line to Conal Keaney against Clare and he churned out 1-3. A goalless seventy is available at 9/1. If either of these goal shy teams manage to rattle one on Sunday, it is likely to come through this pair, one way or another.
Anthony Daly leans on ten of the team that started in last year’s All Ireland semi final. Paul Ryan is a surprising omission. He scored 3-32 in championship 2013. After missing a simple free in Salthill however, he was hauled off four minutes before half time. Moving in the other direction is Alan McCrabbe who returns to the fold after a year out. He has assumed the dead ball duties and returned 12 frees and a sideline cut. All Star Danny Sutcliffe injured his ankle playing with Trinity in the Ryan Cup last weekend. They buried their opening day blues up West by limiting Clare to just seven points from play in Parnell Park. Although named in the half forward line, Keaney should spend some time testing the dependability of Waterford’s last line.
If Waterford persist with the same formula, they again rely on the experienced core of the half back line, Kevin Moran at midfield along with Molumphy and O’Sullivan to win their fair share of battles. With a league quarter final potentially on the line, that area will see enough traffic to merit an announcement on AA Roadwatch. The cuteness of Michael Walsh and Pauric Mahony in particular to use that precious commodity when the gridlock is eventually negotiated will probably determine success or failure for the home side. Stephen O’Keeffe’s recall also improves the possibility of ball retention and the puck out options. His rapid thinking got WIT back on the attack in the Fitzgibbon semi final against LIT last Friday as Harry Kehoe beat the buzzer to force extra time.
In early days of January, Waterford earned a 2-24 to 3-13 challenge triumph over the Dubs in Castlecomer. The odds reflect the tightness foreseen on Sunday with Waterford shading it so far at 5/6. In a game unlikely to stop the scoreboard, anything over twenty points may prove plenty.
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