Browne ready to play his bit part
Browne made his seasonal reappearance towards the end of Saturday’s qualifier victory over Westmeath, and celebrated his 40th birthday yesterday.
He has been a fixture in the team since making his championship debut in 1992, but a return delayed by a fractured rib means that his playing contribution is likely to be from the bench for the remainder of the campaign.
His experience and presence is worth so much more in the dressing room of course, a point emphasised by manager Michael Ryan at Cusack Park.
For his part, Browne will do whatever asked but knows that it’s time to give the county’s future prospects their heads.
“It’s great to get back out there in amongst the battle,” admitted the Mount Sion veteran. “I had a bit of an injury the last couple of weeks but it’s just great to get back into it. Thank God we pulled through.
“I was hoping to get 15 minutes but I think it was the longest spell [of unbroken play] in the whole game to tell you the truth [before I came on]. I’ve waited a long time but it was worth waiting for.
“We’re a team that’s in transition at the moment and that’s the way it has to be. We have to bring on the youth in Waterford. I’m there if needed to be called on and that’s where we are.”
The eye is still good as he fetched one ball brilliantly over an opponent’s head to a loud cheer. The roof might have come off the covered stand if his shot from midfield a little later hadn’t drifted wide.
With 10 minutes under his belt and another couple of weeks of training behind him, he will be sharper as Waterford continue their back door travels.
“That’s the more important thing. The injury affected my training, but in the last week or so I got in amongst them, got a couple of high intensity training matches. That’s where I need to get at.”
Having broken into the team at a time of underage glory (he captained the All-Ireland U21-winning team as a 19-year-old in 1992 and Waterford reached the minor final as well), Browne is well aware of the pitfalls facing such callow operators. While it was pleasing to note the second-half response to an uncomfortable first half against Westmeath — and a similar reaction against Offaly the previous week — there are areas that need fortifying.
“With any young team, sometimes you’re tested mentally and I thought we got over that battle in Tullamore. I suppose coming up to Mullingar, in fairness they’re a young team, and they were a little bit nervous in the first half.
“That’s something that’ll definitely have to improve in this team, their mental strength. To take no one for granted. Championship hurling is championship hurling at the end of the day and to come through that is great.”
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