Waterford begin league for second year in a row against All-Ireland Junior Champions.

Some will tell us that Spring starts this weekend. Others tell us that we have to wait another month. There will never be unanimous agreement as to who is right, so lets not worry about it.

One thing we can agree upon however about the weekend ahead, it is that the G.A.A. Calendar well and truly gets under way.

Already previewed elsewhere on this blog is Lismore’s All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Semi Final with Galway side Oranmore Maree. So to is the National Football League opener between McGrath Cup winners Waterford and Wicklow.

But these are not the only big games that are on this weekend involving sides from the county.

The Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team are also in action.

With the past few weeks they have prepared quietly under for the league and championship later in the year under new Manager Pat Sullivan and his newly assembled management team.

They played in the Pre-Season Jim Kennedy Cup, where on Wednesday last at Fraher Field they lost a play off with University of Limerick to see who advances to this years final. Waterford may have lost that game 0-11 to 0-7, but the good news for Waterford is that they have a plate final to come, a competition they won last year. Who won the competition will not be remembered for too long after it, but the game will be vital for Waterford as it will help bring up the players match fitness levels for the remainder of the league and championship.

First up for Waterford in the league is a game against Wexford. When the sides met early in the 2014 league at Grantstown, Waterford ran out convincing 5-15 to 1-9 winners.

Heading into this weekends game, little if anything should be looked into that result.

Last year the Model County Ladies could not have wished for a worse start to the league, playing Tipperary, Waterford and Armagh in the first three rounds of games.

With all three playing at a higher standard in the championship it was no surprise that all three games were lost, and after playing the ‘big three’ Wexford began to put a run of results together which saw them going into their last game with Sligo knowing that if they won and other results were to go their way, they could have taken the last semi final spot available in the group.

Although Wexford put five goals past the Yates County Ladies, it was not enough as Sligo ran out 4-14 to 5-9 winners.

The run of results in the latter stages of the league continued into the championship and it was no real surprise to see the side end up in Croke Park at the end of September playing New York in an All-Ireland Final, winning the game 1-12 to 1-10.

From the game with Waterford for the All-Ireland Final, only ten players started both games, six of whom started in the same positions in both games.

Wexford will no doubt will want to build on that All-Ireland win. To win the Leinster Intermediate Championship is a possibility for them. To win the All-Ireland is a much tougher task. Wexford’s best way of showing progress might be to have a good run in the league. Waterford, Leitrim and Tipperary, three of the sides that contested the semi finals last year will be expected to reach that stage of the competition again this year. With Armagh having moved up a division as a result of winning last years competition, Wexford will feel as will a number of other sides, that they could well take a semi final spot and if achieve, in a knockout game, anything is possible.

They have the players to help them achieve just that. Chantelle Martin and Katie Redmond are players that know where the posts are. They hit four points each in last years All-Ireland Final. Maria Byrne is another player to keep an eye on. She hit a goal against New York last year.

Others that could well stand out for Wexford include Fiona Rochford, Marguerite Doyle, Marcia Cullen, Catriona McCabe, Roisin Murphy as well as Mary Rose Kelly between the uprights.

Waterford over the past few years have proven to be hugely consistent. Six Munster Intermediate Finals in a row show this. Outside the province while Silverware has not come the way of Waterford at this level, the side is consistent.

In recent years, two All-Ireland finals have been reached, two quarter finals have been reached as has a league final.

Success has also come Waterford’s way in underage levels in recent years and some of the players involved in these successes in the last few years are expected to a big part with Waterford in the year ahead, while others are expected to get some further experience coming on as subs as game progress, a bit like some of the younger members did last year in the league, some of whom when the championship came along were able to stake a place for themselves in the starting team.

New manager Pat Sullivan will no doubt bring with him to the team many of the players that he has worked with at underage level in the last few years, to work with the more experienced players in the set up who have served Waterford well over the past few years.

The experience of the likes of the Wall and McGrath sisters, Nora Dunphy, Hannah Landers, Elaine Power, Michelle Ryan and Margaret Revins is going to prove to be important. So too will the likes of Liz Devine one of a number of exciting young prospects within the county that were given a chance last year, while younger players like Mary Kate Morrissey, Maria Delahunty (returning after a number of years away), Emer Fennell Katie Hannon and Aoife Murray is going to prove to be crucial.

This year’s game between Waterford and Wexford will surely be much closer than last years encounter. Many of the Waterford panel will be anxious to impress the new management team now that the year gets underway in earnest.

The team no doubt will know the old saying that a good start is half the work. Winning games from early in the year only builds confidence for the year as the year goes on.

It may be a coincidence, but in the last two years Waterford have started the league against the Junior All-Ireland Champions from the previous year, both games were home games for Waterford.

Last year Waterford started with a huge win over Offaly at the Gold Coast Complex. A win for Waterford at Fraher Field this Sunday against Wexford, is surely what the doctor orders. Waterford has a nice blend of youth and experience in the panel this year. The experience of the side has to count for something you have to feel. It’s Waterford to win for me here. The winning margin will not matter.