IT HAS, THUS far, been an uncomfortable year for Waterford.
They found a way out of the relegation mire at the last two fences during the league but manager Michael Ryan is losing jigsaw pieces to the point where the future picture is quite unclear.
It can feel indicative of a team’s — and indeed panel’s — demeanour when a player like Shane O’Sullivan choose to spend the summer months abroad rather than play inter-county championship hurling. Perhaps he just needed to get away after college and he certainly wouldn’t be on his own for thinking that way — not every player puts the sliotar first forever.
But ask yourself this question: how many leading counties with a realistic chance of silverware in either code have lost players in this fashion?
Sure, Joe Sheridan briefly made a transatlantic switch but he was lured back by Meath; star forward Barry Grogan is one of a number of young Tipp footballers to leave these shores recently but silverware at championship level looks unlikely; while Offaly’s Derek Molloy went to the US during last year’s championship. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to think of too many players with realistic hopes of silverware who have gone foreign — albeit every rule has its exception.
The kernel of this being whether O’Sullivan thinks the Déise are in with a fighting chance of silverware this year. Or anything more than what he has already achieved, such as the Munster title win in 2010.
Waterford genuinely do have a chance for silverware this year as they need just a single win to make it to another Munster final. O’Sullivan won’t be there to contest it and neither will Pauric O’Mahony, with Noel Connors, Eoin Kelly and Maurice Shanahan all doubts.
Michael Ryan with new selectors Sean Cullinane and Ken McGrath ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
In all, the Decies could be without as many as seven of the panel that took on Limerick in last year’s opener. A day in which they were fortunate to make it through thanks to John Mullane’s late goal.
Right now, the bookies actually have Clare as favourites for the June 17 clash in Thurles but Connors is back in light training and you’d expect him to not be the only doubt that clears up. Still the wonder persists if the wheels are ready to fall off the Waterford cart – there has been a large turnover of players in the last three to four years, with experience being replaced by inexperience.
Yes talent is coming through but Ken McGrath, Dan Shanahan, Paul Flynn and Co are not easily replaced.
On the other hand, Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh, Kevin Moran, Connors, Tony Browne and Mullane would still get on the majority of teams in Ireland but with the likes of O’Sullivan leaving, there is a suspicion that Waterford will be lacking against the very best sides. Which to be fair, they have been in any case.
Yes they showed against Galway last year that no matter how bad a setback they take (as against Tipperary), they will come back fighting. But how many times?
This year they’ve had to replace experience, a coach, a selector, O’Sullivan and have plenty of injury worries. Even manager Ryan questioned his team’s fitness during the league when things were looking bleakest. They won their final two games to stay in Division 1A but that was against a shadow Dublin side that were already doomed to a relegation play-ff and a Galway sans Joe Canning.
So while two wins on the bounce says one thing, reality could be another.
When a team is paying such a high toll in terms of overall turnover, eventually it might tell.