Debuts on Waterford and Clare teams for NFL Opener

Waterford and Clare play their first competitive games of the year this coming Sunday when the two clash in the first round of this year’s Allianz National Football League at Fraher Field.

Both sides in the past would have used the McGrath Cup as a guide to give an indication as to where they are at, but as the two sides along with Tipperary and Limerick opted not to take part in this years competition as a protest against the Munster Council making the Senior Football Championship a seeded competition, ensuring that it almost certain that both Cork and Kerry are guaranteed a place in the Provincial Final.

However, while both sides have had no competitive games, the respective managers Niall Carew and Colm Collins have used the time since returning to training before Christmas to play a number of Challenge games, meaning that both sides will not be going into the game this weekend as ‘cold teams’.

The Banner-men travel to Dungarvan with three players in their selected starting team set to make their debut.

Pierce De Loughrey who was part of the Cratloe team that won a first Clare County Senior Football Championship will have the number one on his back. The other players set to be handed their debut by Colm Collins are Martin O’Leary of the Kilmihil club and Jamie Malone from Corofin both of whom are named in the corner forward positions.

The Full-back line is completely reshaped from Clare’s last competitive game as Kevin Hartnett is set to start at full back flanked by Dean Ryan and Martin McMahon, who switches corners from Clare’s defeat against Laois in last years All-Ireland qualifiers. Laurence Healy and Gordon Kelly are the players that miss out.

There is a complete new half back line with Enda Coughlan, Shane Hickey and Martin Murphy named in the number five to seven positions, replacing Declan Callinan, John Hayes and Graham Kelly

There is a familiar look to the pairing in the middle of the field with Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor set to start.

Shane McGrath survives in the half forward line from the defeat against Laois last July where he will have Shane Brennan and Sean Collins playing along side him. David Tubridy completes the starting fifteen and is named at full forward.

Twelve months ago when the two sides clashed at Milton-Malbay it was Waterford that returned home with a win and some have them down as favourites to win this year as well.

Last year Waterford had a very poor league campaign loosing four consecutive games to Limerick, London, Leitrim and Offaly and also suffered a heavy loss to Kerry in the Munster Championship at Killarney.

However, an excellent performance against Galway in the All-Ireland qualifiers, despite a narrow defeat, showed that all in Waterford football is not as poor as some report it to be, and with more time to the management team to prepare the team, expectations are that Waterford could well be challenging again for promotion from division four in 2014.

While Galway in recent years are not as strong as they were in the late 90’s they are still ranked much higher than Waterford and the fact that Waterford ran the Tribesmen so close shows that they can mix it with teams perceived to be stronger than they are.

One player that Waterford will miss this year is former captain Gary Hurney.

The Ballinacourty club man was one of the first names to be pencilled into the team sheet for almost a decade and a half by successive managers since the late 90’s. Before Christmas he announced his retirement from the inter-county scene.

Niall Carew is reported to be operating with one of the smallest panels in the four divisions of this year’s league but he will feel that what he has to work with is as good as what is in the county and will know that what he has is a committed bunch of players.

With Gary Hurney no longer part of the panel, a great deal of responsibility could well lie on the shoulders of the gifted Kilrossanty Club man Paul Whyte to provide much of the inspiration to inspire Waterford to the goals that the team have set for the year.

The team in recent weeks have played a number of challenge games against the likes of Kildare, Limerick and W.I.T. and results seem to be going well for Waterford.

Earlier in the week it was felt that Waterford had a few niggling injuries but it appears that some of these may be clearing up.

Paul Whyte was one player reported to be undergoing treatment but he played a full part for University of Limerick in their Siggerson Cup loss to Dublin City University during the week, a game that the Kilrossanty man hit five of his sides eight points registered on the score board.

Waterford has named a very strong starting fifteen for the game.

Tomás Wall starts in goals. Dean Crowley makes his debut in the corner back position. Kieran Connery is in the opposite corner having missed out on last year while Thomas O’Gorman is in the full back berth.

Shane Briggs captains the team from centre back were he will be flanked by Cillian O’Keeffe and Conor Phelan.

There is a centre field pairing of Tommy Prendergast and Shane Aherne. If this combination was to click this year, it will cause many teams problems and could mean Waterford having a good year.

Tony Grey, Brian Wall and Declan Allen are named in the half forward line, but you could be forgiven for thinking that Tony Grey and Cillian O’Keeffe could well swap positions at some stage.

Former Inter county hurler Wayne Hutchinson is named at corner forward with Liam Ó Lonáin in the opposite corner and Paul Whyte in the middle.

Over the past few years, little has separated these two sides when they meet and this game is expected to be no different.

Both sides will know that they will have to go all out to win the game. It is vital that if a team hopes to be in contention for a game in Croke Park on April 26 that they do not loose any ground early in the campaign as once you start to drop points you are playing catch-up with others in what could well prove to be a very tight league.

For visiting teams to play at Fraher Field is always a difficult task. In addition to Waterford playing Clare at the Shandon Road venue, they have games at the historic venue against London, Leitrim and Carlow and it is vital that wins are picked up in these games. There is difficult games away to play against Tipperary, Antrim and Wicklow and it is vitally important that not too much grounds is lost in these games if Waterford are to have a successful year.