Michael Moynihan: Déise hotseat will prove enticing proposition

The curtain fell on the Derek McGrath era in Thurles last Sunday, but Ennis offers a more fitting set of bookends to his term in charge of Waterford, writes Michael Moynihan

It was in Cusack Park that McGrath saw his side leak five goals to a rampant Clare back in 2014, and the same venue proved cruel to Waterford yet again last month. They lost several key players to injury in their championship opener, swelling an already lengthy list of casualties even further.

The lessons of the 2014 game were taken on board quickly, and the following season Waterford won the National League; the loss of players like Darragh Fives, Noel Connors, Barry Coughlan, and Tadhg de Burca last month proved harder to overcome, leading to the county’s early exit from the championship.