Derek McGrath: Everyone else is doing it so why aren't Waterford?
BUILDING NICELY: Neil Montgomery of Waterford in action against Ross King and Ian Shanahan of Laois during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B match at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
There have been many declarations from managements that “growing the depth” of their panels and “unearthing new talent” were the most salient objectives of the National League. "Newness” has been heralded, particularly on Leeside.
With championship six weeks away, how much newness will there really be? Take the possible sextet of Cork forwards. Ripping it up in the first three rounds of the league is fine but who of the “newbies” will dislodge, if all fit, O'Flynn, Lehane, Kingston, Horgan, Harnedy. Throw in Alan Cadogan and Luke Meade and the entire forward line of the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final (minus O'Flynn) is still there. We shouldn’t forget either that Declan Dalton made a scoring impact off the bench in the '19 championship against Limerick.
Will Galway’s progress in the championship largely depend on the defensive axis of Burke, Mannion, McInerney and Joseph Cooney with David Burke, Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney and Conor Whelan the central spine from midfield to attack.
Outside of Kevin Cooney, Gearóid O Connor, a returning Bryan O'Meara, the emergence of Richie Lawlor in Wexford, Patrick Fitzgerald in Waterford, Shane O'Brien in Limerick and Billy Drennan, my gut tells me that on the Friday evening of April 21, keen observers will be heard to remark, “14 of last year's team lads”.
When news broke of a convening of referees to police and monitor the legality or otherwise of handpasses some weeks ago I must admit I began to worry. Subsequent to this, Paud O Dwyer's brilliant handling of the Dublin-Tipperary game in terms of the handpass was spot on. Last year, referees were inclined to automatically give a free when the following arose:
1. A player falls in possession and releases the ball. It was assumed that the player threw the ball once grounded.
2. When a player in possession is wrapped up, the release of his arms often coincided with a high-handed release of the ball. Again, automatically blown for a free.
3. A player quickly releases almost looking one way whilst handpassing the other way. Again, an automatic free.
Referees, I feel, have begun to appreciate the unique skillset of the current players to offload and handpass in a variety of ways. Instead of saying “they must have thrown that” they are beginning to deduce that players have the timing and the nous even when under fierce pressure to adjust and deviate.
There’s nothing worse than watching a perfectly legitimate “fast handpass” offloaded with precision, timing and guile being blown by a referee because opposition team officials or players have been bellowing “threw it”. To dismiss this unique skill as a throw is to do a disservice to the players of this generation.
Admittedly John Kiely pointed to hard work being done on their handpassing with Limerick putting an emphasis when not under pressure to show clear separation. This allied to their hybrid Paddy Leavy-Brick Walsh style offloading capacity again makes them the market leaders in innovation.
What was heartening during their league game against Galway was that in the tight, where Limerick's pacy offloads are central to their game, Sean Stack was in tune with the fast if minimal separation. It will be interesting to see what team will be first to begin volleying on a ball as it comes chest high thus releasing a player into open space.
Maybe not, there’s one exception.
The articulation that it’s a simple game with the instruction to “get it and hit it” has belatedly been replaced by the conclusion that gameplans, through the lines, keeping the ball, off the shoulder, counter-attack, false 11s, sitting sixes, plus 1s, 6.5, middle third, duine sa bhreise are now central facets of the modern game.
The game has been modern now for almost 15 years. It’s very difficult, in fact, to identify one team that do not play with a plus 1 either in the full back line or half back line. Or don't have a half forward line double jobbing in their own backline, extra midfielders and only one or two inside.
The discipline of the structures set you free depending on the coaching, the personnel and the unity of the group. Yes, teams will set up conventionally filling the six spots on opposition puckouts before the hunt to get the sliotar back begins.
Pointed, but statistically accurate, post-match radio comments on WLR that Waterford’s full back line had scored more than their inside full forward line did not feel like constructive criticism to this listener, rather the tone insinuated a rush to denounce the Déise gameplan. Perhaps a more detailed focus on the 50 shots at goal against Laois, the brilliance of the first quarter against Dublin, Antrim’s genuine ability and Waterford’s obvious timing and planning may have been more appropriate.
Joe Canning's sharp observations, however, concerning the freedom that is often afforded to Barry Nash (and Diarmaid Byrnes) and that “some team may need to push up on them” engaged the mind and equated to proper analysis.
Waterford’s running game was greeted with discernible groans of derision in Fraher Field. However, they look to be developing a championship plan, a mix of keeping the ball, not hitting it to zonal backs, instead trying to suck them to the middle third before either over-the-top deliveries or having half backs/midfielders breaking the lines and creating overlaps.
Limerick are better than everyone doing what everyone else are trying to do. The Déise have chosen a different path, a structure that should continue to allow Calum Lyons break from deep with Jamie Barron and Jack Prendergast for company.
Tadgh de Búrca's eventual restoration as the go-to sweeper will free Jack Fagan from this role and should allow for a number of dress rehearsals ahead of the championship on how to man-mark half-forwards 100 yards from the goal, offer a scoring threat themselves and still transition to have Tadgh and rotating sweepers minding the house.
By not copycatting other teams the Déise have planned the best. By not exposing Gleeson, De Búrca, Bennett and Hutchinson to the full throttle of the first three rounds their intentions are clear.
Lenin declared that a “lie told often enough becomes the truth”. Such has been the prolonged and pointed attempt to insinuate that nobody cares about the league there is a danger that people may well deduce that players are going through the motions.
Yes there is a bigger competition ahead, yes they may well be in a heavy block of training, but the notion has almost descended to the conclusion that they are not trying. Ahead by 10 points against Galway in the quarter-final of the league in 2017 I apparently instructed Maurice Shanahan to put a 45-yard free wide in order to facilitate the Galway fightback and our exit from the league.
The focus on performances I understand but no inter-county manager will tell his team in a dressing room that they are going out to lose. Depending on the trajectory of the team, motivationally and physically, a league victory can do wonders for the camp.
My gut tells me that the post-weekend commentary will reflect that "these are the type of games we want” and when the eventual league champions achieve one of the three spots in their province it will dispel the myth that Waterford did not qualify last year because they won the league. The atmosphere and mood music to change on moving weekend.
