Weekly Digest 14/8/2013

Déise Ladies are off to Birr.

Waterford’s intermediate ladies football team are in championship action this weekend, taking on Cavan in the All-Ireland quarter final at Birr.

The sides met earlier this year in the National League. Waterford made the long trip to Kileshandra back in early March and returned home with a share of the spoils after the two sides drew 2-11 to 2-11.

Since the league finished, the two sides competed in their respective provincial championship.

Cavan lost their Ulster semi final 1-13 to 1-8 but got back to winning ways last weekend in the All-Ireland qualifiers when they had a comprehensive 4-22 to 0-3 win over London.

Waterford qualified for this weekends game after they successfully came through the Munster Championship where they had wins over Tipperary and Limerick in the group stages of the competition at Fraher Field and in the Munster Final they beat Tipperary again, this time at Castletownroche in Cork.

This is going to be a tough game for Waterford, but one that they are capable of winning. The game in birr has a 3-45pm throw-in and will be preceded by the meeting of Tipperary and Longford also in the intermediate championship at 2pm.

 

Senior Hurling Championship.

The fourth round of games in this years County Senior Hurling championship takes place this weekend.

On Friday evening, Ballyduff take on Tallow in Lismore, De La Salle take on Lismore at Walsh Park and An Rinn play Fourmilewater in Fraher Field. All games have a 7-30pm throw in.

On Saturday evening there is a double header in Walsh Park when Mount Sion take on Passage at 5-45pm and is followed at 7-30pm with the meeting of Abbeyside and Roanmore. At Fraher Field on Sunday evening, Dungarvan take on Ballygunner at 7pm.

 

Waterford’s Development Squads.

Waterford’s Under 14, 15 and 16 Development squads are to take on their counterparts from Kilkenny in Walsh Park on August 24.

This is a fund raising venture to try and bring in some money to help with the cost of running the teams over the course of the year.

The games are on one week before the three sides take part in the Tony Forristal, Carrigdoun and Nenagh Co-Op tournaments the following weekend, and will be seen as a last chance for the players to win a place in the starting line up for these tournaments.

Tickets for the three games cost just €5 and can be got from Walsh Park as can details of the games.

 

Minor Hurling Championship.

The C.C.C.C. met last night (Tuesday) and they decided that the round of games scheduled for next week in the county minor hurling championship will go ahead, but that no games after this will take place until after Waterford play Limerick or Galway in the All-Ireland final on September 8.

 

 

 

 

 

Camogie Dates.

Waterford will play Galway in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie semi final at the Ragg (outside Thurles) on August 24. The game has a 2-30pm throw in. The second semi final between Limerick and Meath will take place on the same day in Banagher at 1pm.

The date for the Under 16 ‘B’ Camogie Final has also been set. Waterford will have to travel to Cork for the third time this year to play Cork in this years Championship. The previous two meetings took place at Mahon but the All-Ireland will take place in Mallow on September 1. No time is confirmed for this fixture yet.

 

Waterford’s Next Senior Hurling Manager.

To many it came like a bolt out of the blue on Sunday Afternoon last that Michael Ryan would not be allowing his name enter the fray to become the County Senior Hurling Manager in 2014 and possibly beyond, odds were quickly put together as to who would succeed him in the top job in Waterford hurling.

After the qualifier game with Kilkenny, the Fourmilewater Club Man reported that he was interested in staying on for at least one more year, and he received the backing of many from within the county to continue, even from those who had doubts about his appointment back in 2011.

However, after players with the 2013 senior panel had met early on Sunday in a Waterford Hotel and passed a vote of no confidence against him been reappointed, he was left with no option but to declare that he was no longer seeking a nomination for re-election.

The news on the ground with the past few weeks was that the Fourmilewater man had considerable backing within the county board and there was some who are usually in the know suggesting that he could receive another two years in the managers position, but that he was about to make changes to his back room team in order to shake things up and to bring new ideas and new voices to the dressing room.

However all that has now changed and all the leading bookies are offering odds as to who will succeed him.

De La Salle’s Derek McGrath is today (Wednesday) the favourite to be appointed. He has a good CV at his back having lead De La Salle College to back to back Dr Harty and Dr Croke successes in recent years, and last year he guided his Club to their third County Senior Hurling Final triumph since 2008. However despite these successes, there will be some that will have concerns that he has not had any notable coaching/managing positions at Inter County level before now.

Former inter county hurler Peter Queally is currently the second favourite. There can be no doubting the ‘Grá’ he has for his County. As a player he was a whole hearted player. He has played for Clubs in Waterford and Cork and has also put together an impressive CV when it comes to coaching in both counties as well. He is currently in charge of Passage and they are one of the sides quietly fancied by many to challenge for the Waterford News and Star Cup this year. He was a selector for Waterford in 2008 and 2009, coming in after Justin McCarthy resigned his position of Manager and worked alongside Davy Fitzgerald, and this experience is something that will stand to him.

Former Waterford Captain Ken McGrath is quoted at 6/1 by the bookies. He worked with Michael Ryan last year coming in with Sean Cullinane after Brother Philip Ryan and Nicky Cashin resigned as selectors. Former Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack is also quoted at 6/1 and straight after the news broke that Michael Ryan was not seeking re-election his name was mentioned. His experience on the inter county front as a player cannot be disputed, helping the rebels to a number of Munster and All-Ireland Finals in the 90’s and 00’s. however some have concerns about his coaching qualifications as it appears that it all seems to be at club level. There is also some concerns with some Waterford supporters that he may not be the right man for the job as many supporters outside of Cork seem him as a factor in the disputes that have sprung up in Cork over the last number of years against the county board and some of the county’s Senior hurling mangers. With Waterford players now twice having passed votes of no confidence against managers and also with a sizeable amount of the players and supports also having doubts about Davy Fitzgerald’s ability for the job questions are asked could the two (players and Donal Óg) see eye to eye over a considerable period of time.

Former Waterford hurlers James O’Connor, Fergal Ryan and Kevin Ryan are next in line in the odds, with former Cork Manager Donal O’Grady and current Minor manager Sean Power quoted at 16/1.

When Justin McCarthy resigned in 2008 there was many in the county that expressed a wish that O’Grady would replace him, but there was reports that he would not come to Waterford cheaply and the same could well be the case. It is suggested by some that he may not be willing to give up his media work to take the Waterford job while many suggest that Sean Power does not have the experience to fill the top position.

Others in the frame according to the bookies include former Tipperary managers Liam Sheedy and Nicky English. Other outside managers suggested by the bookies include Anthony Daly, Daithi O’Regan, Diarmuid Lynn while Colm Parkinson has odds of 250/1.

With the Waterford County Board in a poor state financially, an outside manager which would incur a lot of expenses is almost a non runner. From inside the county, odds are offered on Tony Browne and Seamus Prendergast who were part of the Waterford panel in 2013, as well as former players Stephen Frampton, Jim Greene, and John Mullane. Ray Murphy who worked alongside Michael Ryan this year is offered at 20/1. Former Wexford football manager and current Kildare selector Jason Ryan is quoted at 33/1. After Davy Fitzgerald informed the county board that he was not interested in another stint in the job in the autumn of 2011, the Dungarvan based school teacher’s name was mentioned in some circles as a possible replacement, while current Waterford Intermediate Camogie Manager Mark Cooney is quoted at 20/1.