Master McGrath

Ken McGrath has travelled a winding road with Waterford for almost a decade. Michael Moynihan discovered why he still enjoys the journey, despite the injury worry hanging over him this week.

ON SUNDAY, he’ll make that familiar trip all over again. Up early for a bowl of cereal, then down with his brother Eoin through Ballybricken and on to the quays, into the Granville Hotel.

After an early lunch of pasta and chicken they’ll set off for Clonmel, where they’ll meet the bus coming up from west Waterford. A puck-around at a secret location in Tipperary, then Thurles. Waterford’s Ken McGrath knows the routine well.

It means knowing when to expect the butterflies: “You’re getting your mind focused coming to Thurles, but when you’re going through the Square on the bus, everyone loves that - the colour, the people, all the lads you know waving cans of beer up at you.”

It’s hard to believe seven years have passed since McGrath’s first Munster final, and not just for spectators. The TOP oil salesman shakes his head at the thought.

“Yeah, 1998 seems a long time ago. You think you have experience, but you don’t, some of the things I was trying that time were crazy. You learn from that, though; you have to learn your trade at intercounty level. You’re marking great players and it did me no harm for the future. It takes a while to establish yourself in championship hurling.”

McGrath established himself as a swashbuckling centre-forward before turning gamekeeper. While he enjoys the number six berth - “You can see the whole game” - there are challenges, such as canny forwards pulling him out of position.

“It can happen, it happened against Kilkenny, and against Cork in the first half last year, but you have to be patient. It usually means the forward isn’t doing much either, and it’s still his job to score. You’d be mad to get a few balls in your hand, but you’ve to keep him quiet. That’s not easy with someone like Niall McCarthy, someone who’s proved himself in the last two All-Ireland finals.”

Yes, there’s no getting away from the Cork clash. Sunday’s game is the latest chapter in a fizzing latter-day rivalry which has served up some cracking encounters: the 2002 cliffhanger (won with a last-gasp point from an injured McGrath), the 2003 goalfest and last year’s classic encounter, when McGrath killed Cork’s final attack with a spectacular catch.

“It’s good, tough hurling, massive crowds, it’s brought something different in the last few years. Up in west Waterford it’s great, the rivalry with east Cork. The difference is that Cork have won an All-Ireland, and we haven’t.

“Last year? We knew it was a good game, same as you know when it’s scrappy, and the atmosphere was great. You look back and you realise it was a great match, but we wanted to go on from that. After the (All-Ireland) semi-final you’d watch a video of it, and realise what a game it was, but that’ll inspire us this year.”

How did it feel to join the select band of Waterford hurlers who’ve accepted the Munster senior hurling trophy?

“At the time, I was thinking of the Irish, I was trying to think of what to say. It was great - for years we wanted to win it, and now we’ve won two in three years. Seeing all the people out on the pitch that day, having beaten Cork, who’ve given us some awful hammerings over the year ... I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the cup.

“You’d be nervous making the speech, but it was just a great day, and it made a huge difference having the crowd on the pitch, they couldn’t go out on the field in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 2002, so it really brought it home.”

It wasn’t all good news for Waterford that sunny day in Thurles, however. John Mullane’s red card came back to haunt the Déise against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland in the semi-final, when their attack never looked like getting a goal. However, McGrath doesn’t anticipate any scores being settled on Sunday.

“I know that if John has scores to settle, he’ll do it by putting scores on the board, that’s the way he’ll see it. There’s none of that old kind of stuff goes any more anyway, the best way to punish someone is on the scoreboard.”

There’s no “old stuff” in the dressing-room either; McGrath says focus, rather than shouting and roaring, is the key before a game.

“Some fellas are quiet, some fellas are getting themselves going; Justin (McCarthy) will say something, the captain will speak and some of the older players, but you have to hold your composure. You’ve got 20 minutes before the game with the parade and so on, you have to remember that.”

In that context, Donal O’Grady’s contention that coming onto the field three minutes early for the 2003 All-Ireland cost Cork the match is one that McGrath agrees with: “He’s spot on, the day of a match everything has to be just right. Lads want the routine for the whole day to be perfect.”

This year’s routine involves handing the number 3 jersey to Fergal Hartley, who has came back from retirement.

“Fergal was a brilliant player for Waterford for years, gave everything in training and games, and he’s a boost. He’s a centre-back all his life and it’s different at full-back for him now, one mistake and it’s a goal, but if he tightens things up there for us, it’ll be a huge boost. He’s a great character off the field as well. Coming back like that is like a sign to the team that he thinks we have an All-Ireland in us, he wouldn’t come back otherwise.

“In 2001, people said it was the end of Waterford when Limerick beat us, but we’ve won two Munsters since, and a lot of young lads in Waterford have seen us, they’ve grown up with that and seen the seniors winning. You can see a lot of quality at under-14, under-15 level in Waterford.”

There’s quality elsewhere in Waterford, and McGrath is keen to acknowledge the county backroom staff, including coach Justin McCarthy.

“Justin’s great, you’d see still in training that his skills are unreal. He’s a great hurling man. Nicky Cashin, Sean Ryan, Seamie Hannon - they all played with Waterford and they all bring something different to the organisation. Gerry Fitzpatrick is a great physical trainer, he always has a lot of new ideas to freshen it up.”

As the week winds down to Sunday, McGrath is careful to stay fresh: “You try to stay away from places people will be asking you about the game, otherwise you’d be drained for the match itself - and that’s happened to me.”

That routine again. Doesn’t he ever feel like breaking it - a big greasy fry, a few cans in the bus, enjoying the day as a spectator rather than a gladiator? “No, not at all. I know the lads have great crack, a few drinks and that, but they’re coming up to see us playing. There’s no better day than the championship.

“When I go, I’d say I’ll be sick for four or five years afterwards. It’s the best day of the year. It’s absolutely brilliant.”