WATERFORD HURLING BOSS Liam Cahill has expressed his frustration at the change that sees GAA no longer classed in the group of elite sports and the uncertainty ahead over the 2021 season.

Cahill, who steered Waterford to the All-Ireland final in December, was unaware of the elite status change and feels there is ‘a real headache’ facing the GAA authorities.

“The concern here is the elite status bracket,” Cahill told local radio station WLR FM today.

“I for one wasn’t aware that had been taken away. It throws the whole championship up in the air.

“It’s a real headache for the GAA now. I know their hands are tied in a lot of respects because they are governed by the health authorities but it’s going to take a lot of manoeuvring to get a structured championship in place”

“It really looks like its going to be well in to the summer before we get back to the fields of play. It all depends what level of lockdown we’re at whether we can go with club or county first”

Cahill oversaw major progress with Waterford last year and was hoping for a chance to build on that with a full season working with the squad.

“Déjà vu really. It’s really frustrating from my point of view. I’m going in to my second year in the job now here in Waterford and really I’ve only got a consistent 10 or 12 weeks to have worked with the players, from last September up to the All-Ireland.

“The whole inconsistency around where we’re going in an overall perspective, leaving GAA and sport aside, is really frustrating to people.

“I think there has to be some sort of pathway or a distinctive way of trying to work our way through this very very soon.

“We’re really going to have to depend on our government to step up to the mark really.”

Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey preview Ireland-France and give their thoughts on an eventful week from Cardiff onwards:

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