Major blow for Déise as Hurney suffers broken collar bone

WATERFORD’S Gary Hurney may miss the remainder of the championship after sustaining a broken collarbone on Thursday night.

The injury occurred following an accidental clash with Michael Brick Walsh in a training game at Dungarvan’s Fraher Field.

Hurney was removed by ambulance to Waterford Regional Hospital where X-rays confirmed the worst fears of the player.

It is another blow to Waterford who are without Ken McGrath for their Munster SHC final with Tipperary next month while Stephen Molumphy is rated as doubtful.

“The situation has come close to being critical for us,” selector Maurice Geary said yesterday. “Gary had a fine game in the semi-final replay, and because of his height and other physical attributes he gave us a whole variety of options. He is a huge loss to us for the final. It was one of those unfortunate things that can happen in training.”

Geary reported that McGrath is recovering well from knee surgery but “won’t be available to us earlier than the All-Ireland semi-final if we get there.”

Molumphy is on crutches following a clash with Limerick’s Brian Geary and Geary admits his club man has ‘no chance of being passed fit’ for the provincial decider.

Kevin Moran and Noel Connors are responding well to treatment but a decision on their fitness will not be made until next week. Geary said: “We really have an injury situation on our hands that you couldn’t exaggerate. Any time you are without players of the calibre of Ken McGrath, Stephen Molumphy, and Gary Hurney you have a crisis on your hands’’.

Meanwhile Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly admits he is playing through the pain barrier as the Premier County go in search of provincial and All-Ireland honours. Kelly missed the National League due to a back complaint and revealed that despite his return to action he is ‘not out of the woods yet’

Kelly said: “It’s a bulging disk – a prolapsed disk – which presses on the nerve. I’m still not out of the woods as of yet, I’m getting physio the whole time.

“It’s an injury that curtails you a small bit but at this stage, so far into the season, it’s nearly a mind over matter thing. I’d be hopeful it will be right for games.

“The more I enquire about it, it seems to be a common injury with a lot of sports guys, in the field of rugby especially, but it’s creeping in a bit into the GAA. It’s something I’ve researched a bit.”

Surgery is an option, but the option of last resort for the Lucozade Sport Ambassador.

“That’s what I’m trying to avoid the whole time but if the thing doesn’t come right, you’re putting off the inevitable. Hopefully I’m not, but when the season is over with the club we’ll sit down and have a serious look at it. There can be complications down the road in five or six years time, that’s what I’ve taken from research I’ve done,” he said

“But with this injury you’re eating painkillers. It’s a common injury but you have to be careful, that’s the thing. I’ve been going through all the medical channels. Our physio is great, John Casey, and the advice of most guys has been to stay away from the surgery. It’s the complications I’d be concerned about because I’m only 27. I’d probably be a bit young, that’s the way I’m thinking. I’ll have a good look at it at the end of the season. What I ideally need is three or four months complete rest, that might bring it back a bit again. But what I’m fully focused on now is getting through the season. We’re in a Munster final now so obviously we’re gunning to win it. If we did win it you’d have a Munster medal in your pocket, back injury or no back injury.

“When you’re career is over down the road you’d like to have been involved in Munster championships and having been successful. People might say, ‘Eoin, mind your back injury’ but you just want to be involved in a successful team. We’re back in the final now and we’re one step away from it.”