Queally and O'Connor among the candidates for Waterford job

Outgoing Waterford selector Peter Queally  

Outgoing selector Peter Queally and Tipperary U20 coach Fintan O’Connor are among the early candidates for the vacant Waterford senior hurling manager’s position.

Former Déise midfielder Queally served twice as a coach and selector to Davy Fitzgerald, first in 2008 and ’09 before he returned to assist him these past two seasons along with Tipperary great Eoin Kelly.

O’Connor was also a Waterford senior coach and selector during Derek McGrath’s last three seasons in charge before moving to take over Kerry’s seniors in 2018. He has been working as coach with Tipperary’s U20s the past three years.

McGrath has strong support among the current group of players but it is not certain he is interested in returning to the role, which he left in June 2018 after five seasons at the helm.

Ballygunner manager Darragh O’Sullivan ruled himself out of the running for the role this past weekend. “I haven’t put my name forward, I’m totally committed to Ballygunner at this point in time,” he told the Waterford News and Star after his side defeated Dungarvan in the senior championship.

“Look, my name has been bandied about and I considered putting my name forward. It’s a huge job. You see where I am at the moment. I’m on one leg, I’m on a crutch. You’d want to be in the full of your health to go into that job.

“Look, it might come a little bit too early for me to be honest with you. It mightn’t be available this time around. Maybe some time in the future I’ll put my name in the hat. It’s something I would have an ambition to do. At the moment, I’m kind of laid up. That’s probably the reason I wouldn’t put my name forward this time around.” 

Current minor manager James O’Connor and Tony Browne are two other names that will be linked with the role vacated by Fitzgerald at the start of last month. O’Connor previously managed Ballyhale Shamrocks, while former Déise star Browne has been part of Liam Cahill’s backroom teams in both Waterford and Tipperary.

Initially, Cork’s outgoing U20 manager Ben O’Connor had been mentioned as a potential candidate as part of a ticket involving Waterford’s current U20 manager Ken McGrath but there has been doubt cast over that combination.

Last week, the selection committee were announced as ex-Waterford hurlers, former city and county chief executive Michael Walsh (Ballyduff Upper), Eoin Murphy (Shamrocks), Seamus Prendergast (Ardmore), county secretary Pat Flynn and vice-chairman Neil Moore. Walsh is an independent member. Clubs had until July 19 to put forward nominations.

Waterford have not appointed a native manager since Páraic Fanning in September 2018. McGrath was the one previous to that in 2013 and before him Michael Ryan in ’11.

Waterford will begin their 2025 season in the new seven-team Division 1B along with Antrim, Carlow, Dublin, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath. They have a bye weekend in the first round of the Munster SHC before they face into two home games back-to-back as they did this year. In Round 2, Clare are due to come to Walsh Park before Limerick the following weekend.