'Jury is out' on Déise project, insists Jim Greene

Waterford manager Peter Queally. Pic: Tom Maher/Inpho

Sunday represented Waterford’s heaviest beating, across spring and summer fare, in seven years. It represented the county’s 10th double-digit beating of the past seven years.

Against that, the team pummeled 14 points by Cork was callow in the extreme. The starting line-up contained just six starters from Waterford's final championship outing of 2025, that also away to Cork. 

Only 10 of the matchday 26 were togged at Páirc Uí Chaoimh eight months ago.

So, early cause for concern, or simply a case of too much experience missing in action on a single afternoon down by the Lee?

“The first 20, 25 minutes was a disaster. I was in a black depression 20 minutes into the match,” said former Waterford All-Star Jim Greene.

“We were completely overrun in that period, and it wasn't that you could blame the half-forward line or half-back line, Cork were just dynamite with the ball.

“But if you go to the last 40 minutes of the match, Cork were only a point better than us. So considering the team Waterford had out, and I don't want to be critical of the young fellas because we all had to start somewhere, I thought their second half performance was honourable.” 

Sunday’s 3-25 to 1-17 result represented the first double-digit beating of Peter Queally’s two-season tenure. 

But even allowing for the multitude of missing figures, including Stephen Bennett, Paudie Fitzgerald, Tadhg de Búrca, Gavin Fives, and the Ballygunner contingent, 1982 All-Star Greene believes the “jury is out” on the Déise.

“I am not saying I am happy or I’m not saying that Waterford would be happy that we're looking like we're creating something here or building something here. The jury is well out on that.

“That's a bit away as I don't know what way we're going to come to the Munster championship. I know Peter personally. He is a great Waterford man. He will definitely get the best out of whatever he is playing with. And until we see that, we can't really judge these chaps.” 

When asked how many from All-Ireland club champions Ballygunner he expects to step onto Queally’s team, Greene said he is more concerned with the Ballygunner players carrying through the confident and consistent form they have shown in black and red over the past seven years.

“In Dessie [Hutchinson], [Patrick] Fitzgerald, and [Kevin] Mahony, they have a full-forward line that is lethal. But some of that Ballygunner team have had a chance previously and didn't light up the park either. Inter-county is a different ballgame.

“With Ballygunner, they play a pattern of hurling that suits them perfectly. They know everything about each other; they know where they are at and where they are not at. They go out on the county team then, and it is more individual because that pattern of play won't be in the game.

“All them Ballygunner fellas have potential, but will it come through is another story. I hope so. They've been the best club team in the country over the past seven years, the most consistent. It hasn't showed yet at inter-county. Will it this year?” 

Limerick visit Walsh Park this Sunday. Last weekend’s League opener, as mentioned, was Waterford’s worst beating since the 2-24 to 0-10 hammering at the hands of the Treaty in the 2019 Munster round-robin. 

Some semblance of a response might be difficult when facing “stung” opposition for the second Sunday in succession.

“Cork had a lot more going for them before Sunday's match than we had. Their last competitive outing was the All-Ireland final. They had to feel the pain of that. That was horrible for them. I wore that t-shirt once or twice in Munster finals.

“Official Cork was looking for a response. I am sure Ben O'Connor was pumping that into them, that people have to see a difference here, people don't want to see a team that is sulking. He got a reaction and they played some beautiful hurling at the start of the match.

“But I didn't see anything big, huge exciting about Cork either. They had the field to themselves for 20 minutes, but when we started to close it down, they were grand.

“Limerick are stung, as well. Last year and the year before, they struggle when they are not winning.”