Larry O'Gorman: Derek McGrath can improve Wexford by 30%

Wexford legend O'Gorman believes the county is "good enough to go on and maybe even win a Leinster title"

Derek McGrath spent four seasons coaching Wexford club Faythe Harriers. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Larry O'Gorman reckons new manager Derek McGrath is the right man for Wexford, at just the right time, and has pointed to a Leinster SHC title success in 2027 as achievable.

McGrath spent four seasons coaching O'Gorman's Faythe Harriers club in Wexford and is currently in his third season in charge of Doon, whom he guided to a breakthrough Limerick title in 2024.

O'Gorman described the former Waterford manager, who steered the Deise to the 2017 All-Ireland final, as a 'well organised coach' whose 'knowledge of the game is top-class', suggesting he can improve Wexford by up to 30%.

It's still an intimidating task taking over a Wexford team that lost four of its five Leinster SHC games this year, failing to advance to the All-Ireland series for the second year running.

O'Gorman, an All-Ireland winner and All-Star in 1996, believes it's vital that McGrath retains experienced stars like Lee Chin, Mark Fanning, Liam Ryan and Kevin Foley.

McGrath may also be able to tempt established stars like Rory O'Connor, Conor McDonald and Cathal Dunbar back into the fold after missing the 2026 season.

"What is realistic for Wexford? I'd love to get to a Leinster final - that's what we're hoping for, to get hurling back alive again," said O'Gorman.

"If we get into the third place in Leinster, to qualify out into the All-Ireland, that would be a bonus, but I think we're good enough to go on and maybe even win a Leinster title this year.

"Yeah, I honestly believe. But Lee needs to stay on, Liam Ryan and all of these lads. We need to get back to the levels where we were four or five years ago, when we were almost there at the Leinster final level.

"We shouldn't be falling away. Why should we surrender easily? I think Leinster hurling is alive and Wexford are good enough, as I say, to compete to get into a Leinster final, at least, for the coming year.

"And I expect that from these lads this year coming. Lee, Liam Ryan, Mark Fanning, Kevin Foley, these lads haven't got much left in them, they've only a year or two left in them.

"So they'll have to grab the bull by the horns now and drag these young lads with them, just to get one more...maybe a Leinster title out of them. You don't know what's going to happen after that."

McGrath had a four-season stint coaching Faythe Harriers, with Chin part of a delegation that initially pleaded with him to get involved.

"I think Derek's the man, the right man, out of all the choices that we had out there," said O'Gorman. "I think he's the right man at the moment to bring us back up the ladder. Keith Rossiter did his best over the last two or three years. I think Derek has a higher ceiling, you know, he's a higher grade than what Keith was. I think he will improve us by another 25 or 30%."

O'Gorman was involved again in Monday evening's Hurling for Cancer Research charity game in Carlow. It's an annual labour of love for the two-time Leinster SHC medallist who assists the Jim Bolger's Stars group.

"It's great that you have so many top-class hurlers and camogie players from all around the country who turn up to give their support," he said. "It's a great cause. We've all been affected in some way or other by cancer throughout the years."

Current Wexford captain Jack O'Connor featured for Jim Bolger's Stars and will be expected to play an important role under McGrath in 2027.

"Derek is a well organised coach, his knowledge of the game is top-class," continued O'Gorman. "We'd be expecting a little bit more out of the county than maybe what we've got through the club scene. Because sometimes when you take over a club as an inter-county manager, you're probably expecting a lot more out of those players than what you would get out of an inter-county group. I think we'll improve an awful lot under him, to be quite honest."