Mullane enjoying winning feeling as De La Salle eye another glory day

The first title John Mullane ever won with De La Salle was a Waterford senior hurling championship medal, in 2008.

Think about that. He was 27, he been playing at senior level for 10 years and yet all the way through underage and senior careers had won nothing. Zilch. Nada.

“It was a great medal to get,” he said. “I had the honour and the pleasure that year of captaining a great bunch of lads. We haven’t looked back since.”

Looked back? Tomorrow in Páirc Uí Chaoimh he lines out against Thurles Sars of Tipperary, another two county medals in his pocket and in search of his and De La Salle’s third provincial title.

What a transformation. What a turnaround in just four years. But a turnaround he had seen coming.

“I did, to be honest. 20 years ago the club put a plan in place, came up with the juvenile structures and we’re seeing the fruits of that now.

“While we were being well beaten at adult level we had teams coming through at underage who were winning. Kevin Moran’s team won everything up along, won Féile na Gael as well.”

That’s Kevin Moran his fellow All Star this year and a guy who, in stark contrast to John, got his timing just right and managed the full club collection from U14 to senior.

Given that the original De La Salle pitch in Cleaboy backs on to the Roanmore facilities and is just a decent puck away from the Mount Sion grounds; given that both clubs were far more successful than De La Salle as John was coming into adulthood, surely he was approached to transfer allegiance?

“I was yes, 10 or 15 years ago when we were losing by cricket scores but coming from a city club it just wasn’t on. The friendship you’d built up over the years, I never even considered it, to be honest.”

Good decision. Off the field, De La Salle has made massive strides, retained the Cleaboy facilities while also managing to upgrade.

“We were one of the lucky clubs. We took a chance on selling our clubhouse down in Stephen Street, I think we got €1.4m which sounded like small enough money at the time but looking back on it, it was a great bit of business for the club.

“We were able to push on then and with that money develop two new fields and a new clubhouse facility up in Gracedieu, while maintaining Cleaboy here where we have the lights and a full-size pitch. Other clubs have gone into trouble, are battling but we have top-class facilities now and the debt isn’t too big.”

On the field too De La Salle have made huge strides going for their third Munster title in three attempts and every game has been won the hard way, on the road. Or has it?

“It’s no surprise that most away teams win,” he claimed.

“You jump on the bus in the morning, head off, everyone together from early in the morning and straight away your focus is on the game, your mind is tuned in for the game at two o’clock. If it’s a home fixture you’re hanging around all morning, waiting, the pressure building up, coming into the club in dribs and drabs. There’s no comparison to everyone meeting early and jumping on a bus.”

Would this then explain why both Thurles and themselves refused the option of a toss for home advantage for this fixture?

“It did of course. We’re more comfortable now travelling, as regards concentration and focus. It’s the ideal way to go into a Munster final.”

It’s going to be some battle. Two years ago, in a less-than-vintage match at the same venue, De La Salle scraped home by the minimum, 0-9 to 0-8, Thurles with a hatful of wides. This year, while Sars are an improved side, so too are De La Salle, says John.

“From one to 15, every player has played at some level with Waterford. I’d look at our midfield — Eddie Barrett doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. He was a Harty Cup winner with De La Salle, one of those players who goes through a mountain of dirty work, most of which goes unnoticed.

“Alongside him Dean Twomey, a big powerful man — I think our midfield is as good as any in the country. We’ve also been joined this year by Jack Kennedy, a former Waterford player who won a couple of Munster championships and National League. He’s been a big plus to us. Then we have a few county minors starting to break through so overall, a good balance of youth and experience.

“We know they believe they left it behind them two years ago, had a big wide count, but we feel too we haven’t got the credit we deserve. They’ll be looking for revenge. We’ll be trying to prove to them we’re a decent team. We’re better this year, a lot stronger physically and better hurlers too. The development of players has been huge.”

So it has, but just in time for one of its greatest servants to take advantage, so has been the development of this club.