A couple of weeks back Austin Gleeson gave a superb exhibition of centre-back play in Walsh Park for the Waterford U21s as they rolled to an impressive victory over Tipperary in the Munster final.

The frightening thing is they might just be starting out.

There’s scarcely a more imposing midfield pairing in the country than Anthony Maher and his sidekick David Moran. Or is that the other way round. The 27-year-old Tralee man is finally getting the reviews his work ethic merits.

Eoin Larkin has had a rougher season than most, though not because of any on-field opponents. A bout of illness earlier this year means he has had to work hard to regain his fitness.

IT would have been the perfect farewell and it very nearly came to pass last Tuesday week, but Colin Fennelly slightly overcooked his pull-back from the right – he hit it a little too well – and Henry Shefflin, in space right in front of the Kilmallock goal, couldn’t quite get his hand to the sliotar.

Married to a devoted horse racing fan for the last 44 years, my mother has probably watched more Group One Classics than the queen.

ALLIANZ HL DIVISION 1A:

Ballinacourty’s gentle giant this week decided to call time on his 14-year Waterford career

I was at a function recently with a few people and we bumped into Anthony Tohill, the four-time All Star and All-Ireland medallist. Tohill stands 6ft 4ins tall.

Owen Mulligan has stoked the flames of the sometimes bitter Tyrone-Kerry rivalry in his newly-released autobiography, Mugsy — My Story.

John Mullane may believe it’s going to get ‘toxic’ in Thurles but Noel Connors has rubbished the idea of bad blood between Waterford and Clare.

Waterford hurling great Paul Flynn is hoping that ignorance is bliss when he makes his championship debut in the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point today.

Watching Kilkenny disembowel Tipperary in the second-half yesterday, a quote from acclaimed TV series The Wire sprang to mind.

Joe Brolly has stoutly defended his criticism of Colm Cooper and Kerry but rejected suggestions he called the Kingdom captain a choker.

Kerry or Tyrone, Tyrone or Kerry — the debate about the Team of the Noughties continues to rage.

Tyrone have been drawn against Kerry in round three of the All-Ireland football qualifiers.

It’s a diversion, nothing more.

Innovation is key in the modern game and ultimately could end up being the difference between winning and losing Championship 2012

Tomorrow’s All-Ireland hurling final against Tipperary is a career challenge for Henry Shefflin - much like the one the Kilkenny talisman has had to overcome in the last 12 months.

RATHER than patronise them afterwards in the event they ship a heavy defeat tomorrow, let’s seize the moment and acknowledge the breadth of Dublin’s achievements this summer right here.

Economist Jim Power is a proud Waterford hurling fan who believes sport can lift the mood of a nation

DAVY FITZGERALD, whenever he does depart Waterford, he’ll leave it in a much better state than he found it.

I WROTE it on Saturday, I was really looking forward to this weekend. Cork and Galway on Saturday in the qualifiers, Tipperary and Waterford in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday in the Munster final. What a weekend it has been for hurling all right, what a poor weekend.

THE chairman of the GAA’s Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee has cast doubts as to whether inter-county footballers and hurlers will be subjected to blood testing.

WE probably didn’t realise it at the time, but when Joe and Justin McMahon figured out how to deal with the retro-style full-forward in the 2008 All-Ireland final, we were most likely witnessing the eclipse of a particular attacking ploy and the beginning of another era in full-forward play.

A seriously dehydrated Kerry footballer was detained by an Irish Sports Council drugs tester past midnight yesterday after being unable to provide a urine sample for over three hours.

JUSTIN MCCARTHY has broken his silence on his departure as Waterford hurling manager, describing the players as “bluffers” who did not give him credit, stating it wasn’t a “f**king creche” he was running when manager in the southeast.

GEORGE Hook’s doused the fires of hell creeping around his feet by telling him sex was normal.

THE general perception after Tyrone’s defeat of Antrim last month was of a side that had seen one too many summers.

NO-ONE likes to see a referee dominate the conversation after a game but it was impossible to skirt around the role played by Maurice Deegan during yesterday’s events in Celtic Park.

Noel Hickey is set to make his first competitive start for Kilkenny since the 2008 All-Ireland final, after Brian Cody named the defender in his side to face Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow.

THE scenario facing the two heavyweights in Healy Park tonight flies in the face of conventional wisdom.