Tony Browne: It's now or never for Waterford's sweeper system

Tony Browne has heard the arguments for and against the sweeper system adopted by Waterford under Derek McGrath but the Déise great believes the tactic will have to be dispensed with if the county falls at the penultimate hurdle for the third summer in a row later this month.

McGrath took over the manager’s post with the Waterford seniors at a time of considerable transition late in 2013 and adopted the extra defender as a core principal in the wake of a testing first season when his young team was shaken by some chastening defeats.

The sweeper isn’t to everyone’s taste.

Browne describes a county divided down the middle over its merits — tactical and aesthetic — but the 1998 hurler of the year believes the De La Salle clubman has earned more than enough brownie points to continue his reign into 2018 and beyond, regardless of what Sunday week brings.

“Do I think it’s do or die for him? Not really, no. If you look at what he’s done in the last four years, this is their third year getting to an All-Ireland semi-final, I do think he has to push on though and get this team to an All-Ireland final. Whatever happens in that, we’ll see.

“He’s four years there. If we don’t get there, maybe Derek will decide to stay on for another year or two and decide to change tactics and decide maybe to push on and throw off the shackles and leave the guys at it and see where it takes them.

“Waterford historically maybe leaked a lot of goals that maybe they could have won big games in, particularly semi-finals. He’s cagey about that and he still has a big future in the game whether he stays with Waterford or not. He’s a very good manager.”

Waterford haven’t stood still. McGrath opted for a more orthodox approach against Kilkenny in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final and again earlier this summer for the Munster semi-final meeting with Cork. Though they produced performances of different worth, the end result both times was defeat.

Browne sees a Waterford side that, for better or worse, has become accustomed to and comfortable with the sweeper system and one that has engineered a more effective threat in attack at the same time.

The possible absence of Tadhg De Burca against Cork for the debated red card he received against Wexford has the potential to test the strength of the structure in a way never done before.

Browne singled out Darragh Fives and Austin Gleeson as likely deputies should any appeal on De Burca’s behalf to his one-game suspension fail although he is firmly entrenched in the camp of those who feel the former All Star defender was unlucky to see red.

“It’s a harsh call,” he suggested. “Tadhg de Burca is a player that, he’s not really a dirty player. If you look at the Kieran Donaghy incident there (against Galway when the Kerry player held Declan Kyne by the throat), was it any worse than that? I don’t think so.”