Among the throng of Waterford talent, where’s the new Seamus Prendergast?

Although Waterford possess any number of nippy forwards who can come onto a ball at speed, these zippy little crafts require a lighthouse, writes Enda McEvoy.

Needed an intro for this piece. Desperate times calling for non-desperate measures, put a call through to Kieran O’Connor. Yes, that Kieran O’Connor. Ace WLR FM commentator, Glanbia guy, old friend of this column and lifelong Examiner reader.

A leading question and, let’s face it, an unfair question. Nevertheless: Is the pool of hurling talent in Waterford better than it’s ever been, or at any rate better than it’s been since the mid-noughties? Kieran O’Connor pulls first time. Not only is the pool better, he responds, the quality of the pool is better. The quality, the depth, the range of clubs. The 14 different clubs represented on the all-conquering U21 outfit last year. The Clashmores and the Colligans and the Ballysaggarts. All those country boys enflamed a decade ago by the exploits of Ken and Tony and Dan the Man and Flynner and the De La Salle skinhead.