Panel beaters: Ballygunner drawing strength from depth

Gunners manager Darragh O'Sullivan says that Billy O'Keeffe epitomises the spirit of his charges having lost his place in the side despite being nominated for club hurler of the year last season

SPIRIT: Ballygunner’s Billy O’Keeffe looks to get past Ballyhale Shamrocks’ Darren Mullen and Kevin Mullen in the All-Ireland club SHC final at Croke Park earlier this year. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

“Billy O’Keeffe epitomises what we are,” declares manager Darragh O’Sullivan as he is asked about the buy-in from his Ballygunner players.

The emergence of Patrick Fitzgerald has something to do with it – more of him anon – but O’Keeffe has not started a game since the opening Waterford championship game in August. For a player rightly shortlisted as club hurler of the year for the 2021-22 season, when he scored 5-10 in five games across the Munster and All-Ireland championships, it’s been a fall. However, there are no tantrums.