New boss McGrath open to Kelly return
The 31-year old departed the intercounty scene at the end of the 2012 season but continues to remain one of the top marksmen in the county, underlined by his sterling contribution in Passage’s run to a first Waterford County title earlier this month.
McGrath, whose backroom team consists of Tipperary’s William Maher, former Waterford hurler Dan Shanahan and Cork native Frank Flannery, was ratified for a three year term at last night’s County Board meeting and admitted Kelly would come into the management’s reckoning if his current form was upheld.
“The reality is that you will be looking to locate the 30 best players in Waterford,” he said.
“If he [Eoin] came into that category... look I would be looking at an open ended panel. What we will have for the year is an open ended panel, like the Kilkenny model where there are lads ready and create an environment where they are prepared and happy to come in. It is very difficult if you don’t have that environment created, where lads are in and out and the other lads know that is going to happen and there is no sulking from the subs.”
Though Kelly’s time in the blue and white shirt appears to be far from a closed book, McGrath revealed that John Mullane would not be returning to the Waterford panel for the 2014 campaign. McGrath spoke with his fellow clubman yesterday and Mullane assured him that he was content in retirement.
“It will be a non-runner definitely, an absolute non-runner. I rang him yesterday and I said ‘listen, I might be hit with a question here tonight’ and it’s a non-runner.
“He’s enjoying his family life, two beautiful daughters. And he’s enjoying his role as a pundit. He likes it. He likes doing it. And he’s involved with the club minors – they won the county championship. He’s really enjoying his life. I’m not saying that he didn’t enjoy his life as an intercounty hurler but he’s enjoying the things that go with that bit of freedom, that’s not associated with being an intercounty hurler. And good luck to him.”
McGrath is well accustomed with the current crop having guided De La Salle to back-to-back Croke Cup successes in 2007 and ’08 . Added to that, he steered De La Salle’s club hurlers to County glory last year. The 39-year old understands the benefit of having previously worked with a sizeable chunk of the group that tasted qualifier defeat to Kilkenny in July.
“The outside perception might be that there would be blind loyalty towards some of them but things change – I know that better than anyone in terms of hurling. So yeah, there’s 14 on the panel between ’2007 and ’08 that were involved this year but obviously panels change and things change. Fellas accelerate and progress between 17 and 20. A fella can come from nowhere. But it will be a help in terms of the relationship I have with some of those players, without a doubt.
“No secret that I would have been a fella that only flirted with the panel. I was on it in 1996, ’97 and ’98. Dan brings the wealth of experience that’s needed from a top class player. He brings that balance in terms of a player that’s been there and done it all.”
Pointing to the Munster SHC first round clash against Cork as Waterford’s most crucial fixture next year, the De La Salle secondary school teacher called for patience in allowing the county’s All-Ireland minorwinning team make the step-up.
“Tipperary won the minor last year and there hasn’t been a word about them this year. They won very convincingly under Willie Maher and there hasn’t been a word about it. I am not saying we have got carried away here but we need to be cautious.
“You have a decision to make. Do I go with the older crew and fuse the older crew with the younger crew in year one? Or do you decide to go with youth straightaway and that is the way it will be for the three years. You will have to balance it up based on when you bring your panel in first, the first six to eight weeks training and you will know then where to go from there.
“The Cork match is in terms of overall progress for the year. That is a big championship game. We need to get back winning championship games.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
