McGrath and management take time to reflect

Family and work commitments may convince Derek McGrath to step down as Waterford manager but he and his management will now take time out to consider their positions.

McGrath has another year left on his current term but would not be drawn on his future yesterday nor did he give away anything in addressing Sunday night’s final banquet on Upper Leeson Street.

“I was keen for it not to become a point of debate afterwards. I was keen just to take the chance for a month or so to think about it and where we are and where it is going and my own commitments to school and family, and we were anxious not to have a debate but there was a lot of good will there towards ourselves, the management and the players in terms of the future.”

Had Waterford won, McGrath says he wouldn’t have been inclined to step away in a blaze of glory.

“I would never have contemplated that perfect scenario where you win it and walk away and you’re a hero forever more.

“If you operated in that modus operandi, I wouldn’t have taken the job in the first place. The advice I was given by people on the outside was to wait until Paddy Curran and the boys were 22 or 23 rather than lob them into a situation when they are 18 or 19. The cute route would have been to wait three or four years until they are ready - that was the general perception. I wouldn’t operate in a mindset where ‘wouldn’t it be great to get out when on top and get into punditry’ and you’re a hero for what you achieved. That wouldn’t have been entertained.”

McGrath remains a supporter of the forthcoming proposals to change the provincial championships to round-robin format but senses there isn’t much backing now among counties and clubs. If passed at Special Congress on September 30, they will come in for next year.

“We had unanimous support for it as players but I’m getting the feeling there will be a reaction, a feeling that this was a good championship and maybe the status quo should be remaining, but I could be wrong.

“The danger, and I’m on the record as saying this is that the round robin Munster championship may dilute the importance and the significance of the league in terms of preparations.”