WHEN THE NEWLY-installed Sky Sports pundit Jamesie O’Connor previewed this weekend’s Munster SHC opener on Off The Ball this week, he pinpointed one man’s absence as particularly important.
Cork will line out against a Waterford side missing Stephen Daniels in Thurles on Sunday afternoon.
The De La Salle man broke his patella last season and has been travelling a long road back to full fitness since.
“I’m getting back slowly but surely now,” Daniels said ahead of the Semple Stadium showdown with the Rebels.
“I’m back doing a bit of running, some hurling drills but not full contact yet. I’d like to make an appearance at some stage over the summer.
“It was this time last year against Offaly in a challenge game. It was just unfortunate, straight from the throw-in, the ball went in and I got a bang in the knee cap, broke the patella. It was a tough injury to get over.
“It was a freak incident. I know TJ Reid did it as well a couple years back so I was dealing with him to see how he dealt with it. He did it in the All-Ireland final against Galway, a similar enough injury. He’s obviously in good form now, so that’s what I’m striving for. You’d have negative thoughts on the way back but seeing him flying is a good boost for the confidence.”
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The 24-year-old continues: “I got operated on the Tuesday after the game which had been on a Friday. Straight away Tadhg O’Sullivan operated on me, put the knee back together with wires and pins. Then it was all rehab. The second operation six months after was then to take the wires and pins back out when the knee was back together.
“It’s very slow rehab. The main issue was to try to get the quad muscle back working again. I went working with the physio Conor McCarthy and he got me back on the right track. I went back doing basic running since Christmas and stepped up the jogging since then. I built the programme around that. I wasn’t able to do squats and lunges so I had to do different material in the gym with leg weights. I still have to build up a bit of muscle mass before I’m back in the gym again.”
If Waterford’s summer stretches into August and September, Daniels may yet become a central character.
“I can’t set an actual date,” he says. “I hope to be available at some stage during the summer. I’ll have to be back fit, playing challenge or in-house training games before then. I’m not back in full contact training yet. I have to get used to training or jumping before then. It’s the first major injury I’ve had and being out for a year is a killer.”
