IT’S OVER TWO weeks until the Munster senior football championship kicks into gear but in Waterford there is little sense that they are part of the national picture.
Tom McGlinchey came desperately close to masterminding a major shock last summer at the opening stage against Cork.
Six of that team are no longer available, including key forwards Donie Breathnach and Paul Whyte, as Waterford face up to the task of taking down a Tipperary team that were on the cusp of promotion to Division 1 this year.
It all adds up to a frustrating scenario for McGlinchey. In a year when the Super 8s structure is sweeping into view on the GAA landscape, the Waterford boss does not see their needs having much relevance.
“I was involved with Tipperary in 2001 when the qualifiers came in and they thought that this was going to be the golden egg, but I think everyone is nearly bored with it now, trying to say, ‘let’s do something different.’
“What they’ve come up with now is this Super 8s. But then like it’s going to be interesting to see how that works out. What’s going to happen as regards a tiered system for the football, I genuinely don’t know.
“They say the appetite isn’t there from the players and the counties, so it’s hard to know. Well, you see, and this isn’t being smart and facetious. What the Waterford footballer thinks doesn’t really come into it like.
“We saw that with what happened with that league game. The four counties came up with what was a sensible solution and it was dismissed.
“Realistically what Division 4, Division 3 teams think, it doesn’t really matter, let’s be realistic about it. It’s all about the Super 8s, getting exposure. You can see it the way the television companies.
“They are kind of forgetting now about the provincial championships. They are all putting their eggs into the Super 8s. What did I see there, the BBC have now pulled out of the Ulster Championship, and are only showing two games is it up there. RTE are only showing two of the Munster football games.
“Like, it’s all about the Super 8s, unfortunately you will probably see the provincial championships will just drift away. That’s my view on it.
“That’s the reality. Again, people don’t like talking about what happens in soccer and rugby. Just look at Arsenal, in the Europa League, does anyone really care about it. Connacht are in the Challenge Cup. They were in the Heineken Cup two years ago. They are in the Challenge Cup now. Does anyone care about it? Not really.
“And it’s like the hurling things. I know in the Christy Ring, the Joe McDonagh, the Lory Meagher, the Nicky Rackard, all the teams that are involved in that, of course they are giving it everything but collectively, and I’ll say to all of ye as well, do the top journalists really care what happens at the bottom tiers?
“Let’s be honest about it. They don’t. The provincial and the local papers will pick up on it and you will get your results but it’s all about the top teams like.
“The gap is getting wider, and it will get wider and wider. I think you will see a stage where it will just be all about Super 8s in hurling and Super 8s in football.”
Tackling the disparity in resources between counties would be a priority in McGlinchey’s view if there was a desire to create a more egalitarian championship.
“We need to have a root and branch think about it. If you want an even championship, and this will never happen, the 32 teams start with €200,000 – that is what they are allowed spend. You have 30 players and you name your 30 players on 1 January, and that is what you have for the year.
“Do that for five years – it won’t be long evening out. I’m involved with Waterford, six of the team that started against Cork last year won’t be playing this year. So the six I’m bringing in it will take them a while to get to that standard. To be fair if Dublin or Kerry lose two or three top players the fellas they have coming in will get better. They have more money behind them and it does make a difference.
“If you want a fair system have everyone starting the same. Even take the last month Waterford, and in fairness to the Waterford county board they said they would keep April for clubs. So they played two hurling and two football matches.
“The last time I saw my players was 25 March until I saw them last Wednesday night, 25 April when we played Leitrim. Other counties have gone on training weeks and training camps.
“It is not a fair system, but I’m not crying (over) spilled milk here, don’t get me wrong at all. That is great and if that is the way counties want to run their business that is fine.
“If you want it fair and everyone starting on the same level playing ground then have everyone starting on the same ground. Don’t turn a blind eye and say ‘okay that county is gone off having championship matches’.”
The decision in late March to cancel three Division 4 league games after a series of postponements due to wretched weather conditions, clearly irritated McGlinchey.
Waterford’s tie with Leitrim was scrapped despite the pair seeking to play each other on a midweek date. Last week they did get to achieve that when they faced off in a challenge game in Dublin.
‘Disappointing’
“Of course it was disappointing,” said McGlinchey.
“Like, we made our case, and we thought we made a good case. I suppose the proof of the pudding, we actually played Leitrim in a challenge match in Abbotstown last Wednesday and it’s amazing
“Limerick played Wicklow. There was another challenge match in Abbotstown that night. There was another hurling match played somewhere else in the country, a challenge match.
“We put thought into it before we actually said it and you can see it every week, there is matches going on, last week, this week, midweek, our counties are traveling all over the country to play matches.
“When you let fellas know, whether it’s club or county, they will organise themselves and that’s all that fellas want like. U20 championship will start soon. That will be on Wednesday night.
“There is minor championships on the last few weeks at half six in Munster. The fellas that are over them are all working. They are all taking half days, time off, to do it.
“Fellas will do it. Ah, it just was disappointing, but again it’s history, we don’t worry about it now.”
McGlinchey spoke at the Munster championship launch in Bunratty Castle on Monday but his counterpart Liam Kearns was absent, the Tipperary supremo protesting over the situation that will arise if they win as a potential semi-final against Cork is pencilled in for six days later.
McGlinchey has no hesitation in admitting his team face a tough task.
“Let’s be realistic here, Tipp are probably going to beat us and beat us well. In fairness to Liam he probably has the nuisance of having to play us seven days before he plays Cork as he said.
“I’m saying that because I know Liam Kearns for 25 years, I’m friendly with Liam, this isn’t just having a go at Liam. Of course there is no talk about us because realistically we shouldn’t be beating Tipperary.
“I suppose Cork were the same and I won’t say they took us for granted, but weren’t as up for it as they should have been and nearly got caught out. Will it happen against Tipp? I doubt it, hopefully it will.
“The lads put in a great effort last year, but that was 2017. It is 2018 now, we have new fellas in the panel so it is going to be hard. Realistically we are looking for that elusive win in the qualifier.
“Liam made his point and I can see where he is coming from, but I don’t think he needs to worry about Waterford.”
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