Waterford Can Upset the Odds against All-Ireland Champions at Croke Park

Waterford have appeared in two All-Ireland Senior Hurling finals in recent years but in the eyes of many Waterford’s best chance of winning a first All-Ireland Final since beating Kilkenny back in October 1959 came in 2007 a year that Waterford did not actually contest the final, the year when Waterford lost out in the semi finals to Limerick by five points.

When Waterford set off in that year’s championship road they were coming off a very successful National League campaign beating a Kilkenny side who the previous September in the All-Ireland Final.

Waterford are back in a National League final once more again this coming weekend, having played in two in between and the opponents for Waterford are once more the reigning All-Ireland Champions.

Limerick will be going into this game as favourites, and who would argue with the bookies that will make them favourites. They are the reigning All-Ireland Champions after all and topped what some might argue was a tougher group in the round robin section of the league to what Waterford were in, and in the knockout phase of the competition, putting up impressive scores against Laois in the quarter finals and Dublin last Sunday in the semi finals at Nowlan Park in the curtain raiser to Waterford’s game, two sides that Waterford also played and put good scores up against in the round robin section of the competition.

Limerick secured their spot in Sunday’s final with a 1-19 to 1-16 win over Dublin to give them a first final appearance in 13 years.

And they will be hoping that history can repeat itself as 22 years ago when they last won the league, their semi final win that year came against Kilkenny in the Cat’s own back garden at Nowlan Park.

Limerick as we all know are a coming force within the game. They have contested the last four National League semi finals, last Sunday was the first one which they won. They won the Under 21 All-Ireland in 2015 and 2017, winning the Munster Championship at the same grade in the same years. They have contested the Minor All-Ireland Finals in 2014 and 2016, winning the Munster Minor Championships in 2013, 2014 and contested the Munster finals in 2015, 2016 and again last year. While since 2014 Ard Scoil Ris have won the Dr Harty Cup in 2014, 2016 and 2018 while Scoil na Tríonóide from Doon contested an all Limerick final in 2014. Limerick right now is a conveyor belt of underage hurling and last year we saw some of the hard work put in with the underage teams come to the fore with the winning the All-Ireland Senior Final.

But nobody will be writing off Waterford’s chances of winning what would only be a fourth National League final.

Just like in Limerick some great work is put in with Waterford’s underage teams in the last number of years. De La Salle College and Colaiste na Déise/Dungarvan Colleges have won Dr Harty and Dr Croke Finals and a number of players from these victorious teams will be part of the Waterford set up on Sunday.

Waterford have won Minor and Under 21 All-Ireland Finals and again a number of players with All-Ireland medals from these competitions will be looking to add to their medal collection, claiming what for some would be a second National League medal, having won one and contesting another while under the charge of Derek McGrath back in 2015 and 2016 when Waterford won the competition as a Division 1B team and a 1A team respectfully.

After Waterford lost out to Galway in the All-Ireland Final back in 2017, sitting in the press box at a club championship game the question was asked by someone was there an All-Ireland in Waterford. I was adamant at the time that there was one to be one by the current crop of players if some tweaks were made. I still stand over that and maybe 2019 will be when it happens.

But Sunday is not about All-Ireland Finals. It is about a National League title, one of two pieces of silverware that Senior Inter County Teams can win at a National Level each year.

Waterford’s involvement on Sunday means that the first round of the club championship goes by the way side, but there won’t be too many hurling supporters complain about that. One round of games can easily be made up later. There is a weekend of April when club games can be played.

Because of Waterford’s involvement in the League final on Sunday means that Pauric Fanning side will go into playing the Munster Championship in the middle of May having played inter county as long as possible, something that I for one will stand to Waterford, and something I firmly believe worked against Waterford last year when the side were involved in a relegation play off.

Limerick were getting quoted last Sunday evening by some bookies as odds on favourites to add the league title to the All-Ireland Final won last autumn. But that is something that could well work in Waterford’s favour. Waterford often plays best when written off by the bookies and the experts in the media.

Will Waterford win a fourth National League Final on Sunday, I for one think that Pauric Fanning and his charges will be celebrating with the rest of the county after what would be a rare win for the Waterford hurlers in Croke Park on Sunday.