DEREK MCGRATH MAY not have seen the incident that resulted in Tadhg de Búrca’s sending-off for Waterford today but he was well aware of what a potential setback it could be for their hopes at the All-Ireland semi-final stage.
The Clashmore-Kinsalebeg club man saw red with five minutes of normal time remaining and unless Waterford mount a successful appeal, he stands to miss their next outing in Croke Park in August.
McGrath has invested plenty faith in de Búrca and been rewarded as he has established himself as one of the cornerstones of this Waterford side.
His loss would be hugely detrimental to their hopes of reaching the Liam MacCarthy Cup decider in September.
“(I’ll take the) Arsene Wenger approach,” stated McGrath in the post-match press conference in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“I didn’t see it. What I will put on record is that Tadhg has been central to everything we have done well over the last four years.
“(He) made his debut at wing (back) in 2014 and has been hugely central to how we play and what we have done.
“He is a purist, an absolute purist in his approach. I will have to see it and then we will leave due process take its course.
“It would be massive. It would be a huge blow, it would probably change things.
“I probably haven’t thought about it in terms of what has happened. I didn’t speak to him about it.
“I just got word from the fourth official that it was a possible red. That was the transmission coming through the radio on the sideline.”
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