There’s only one possible starting point in any Waterford hurling conversation this week: Last Sunday’s trick sideline cut, when Waterford were trying to reel in Galway’s lead in their rescheduled Allianz Hurling League clash.

So far, so good for Paraic Fanning in Division 1B of the Allianz League.

A cold and calculated performance from Waterford on a perishing afternoon in Thurles.

Former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins is an early favourite to succeed Derek McGrath as Waterford manager.

The curtain fell on the Derek McGrath era in Thurles last Sunday, but Ennis offers a more fitting set of bookends to his term in charge of Waterford, writes Michael Moynihan

The new provincial hurling championship format is “unworkable”, according to Waterford County Board chairman Paddy Joe Ryan.

Michael Moynihan considers the positives and negatives of the new look provincial hurling championships

Shortly after my wife and I took up a pair of seats about four rows from the back of the covered stand in Cusack Park last Sunday, I could hear a young fella behind me asking his father: Is that Tony Browne?

Here are the main talking points in the GAA world over the weekend.

Clashmore rebounded from their ten-point loss to The Nire as a powerful finish caught Ballinacourty at the death in the Fraher Field sunshine on Saturday.

The honours went to Waterford in this Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash at Walsh Park yesterday, but it is important to note Clare were already guaranteed a quarter-final (pitted against Limerick).

Kerry's change strip, corporate soirees, refs on the rise and other league talking points. Our writers wrap up a packed Allianz League weekend.

Kerry's change strip, corporate soirees, refs on the rise and other league talking points. Our writers wrap up a packed Allianz League weekend.

This NHL 1A clash went to the visitors Wexford in front of a crowd of 7,567.

Back-to-back All-Star Jamie Barron has admitted a large part of his reason for pursuing a teaching job is to aid his inter-county hurling career.

Another September. Dreams fled away, as Thomas Kinsella used to say.

Waterford went a point up ten minutes into the second half. It had been tit for tat in the second period, but from that point on Galway had the scoring power to creep ahead and the experience to see out the game.

Donal O’Grady gives his tactical breakdown of an intriguing All-Ireland final.

This year will surely go down in hurling lore as the Year of the Helmet. In an All-Ireland series marked by contentious helmet incidents, Austin Gleeson last weekend saw fit to give us one more: right in front of a linesman and right in front of a camera, arguably the most clear-cut incident yet.

Waterford were rejoicing last night as it was confirmed that Austin Gleeson has been cleared to play in the All-Ireland final, writes John Fogarty.

Waterford were rejoicing last night as it was confirmed that Austin Gleeson has been cleared to play in the All-Ireland final.

Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe is looking forward to the All-Ireland hurling final clash with Galway, obviously — but living and working in Dublin will insulate him from much of the build-up.

For the 72,022 in attendance and those in the southeast corner of the country, the small print may not be as important as the headlines, so we’ll start with the big takeaway from yesterday’s game, writes Michael Moynihan.

Two goals in the space of a second-half minute sent Waterford into their first All-Ireland final in nine years, their seventh in total, as Cork were left to rue Damien Cahalane’s 51st minute red card, writes John Fogarty.

Waterford may have lost Tadhg de Búrca but in doing so have gained another rallying call. The multiple motivations the Déise have going into tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final:

This intro was written during the week rather than yesterday afternoon, and not for the sake of having one already baked in the event that yer man in North Korea decided to rain fire and fury down on top of the one world leader who has taken to making him look vaguely sane.

Waterford defender Tadhg de Búrca will play no part in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final against Cork, after his last-ditch appeal to the independent Disputes Resolution Authority failed, writes Jackie Cahill.

Galway are there. Cork and Waterford are nearly there. Hurling is taking its August turns. Lovely late summer cadences.

Galway hurling captain David Burke has identified Cork as slight favourites to join the Tribesmen in the All-Ireland hurling final, a comment that will inevitably be stored for motivation in Waterford.

Former Galway double All-Ireland winning captain Conor Hayes hopes Adrian Tuohy will be cleared to play in next month’s final.

Tadhg de Búrca’s DRA appeal hearing will take place on Thursday, confirmed Irish Examiner GAA correspondent John Fogarty on today’s PaperTalk podcast.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath has categorically dismissed rumours about him replacing Ger Cunningham in Dublin next season, writes John Fogarty.

Waterford manager Derek McGrath has categorically dismissed rumours about him replacing Ger Cunningham in Dublin next season.

Galway hurling captain David Burke doesn’t believe any team employing a sweeper will lift Liam MacCarthy and has claimed Waterford could benefit from not having Tadhg De Búrca available for next month’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork.