Ken McGrath in full flow – one of the great sights of this or any hurling generation. | Photo: Sean Byrne
‘Waterford: an ageing team’ is one of the great myths that’s been perpetuated by some in the national media for quite a number of years now.
In reality that’s not the case at all, with the introduction of a wave of emerging talent over the past three years very much to Davy Fitzgerald’s credit.
To give Justin McCarthy his due, things hardly stood still while he was in charge on Suirside either, despite the myopic views of some television ‘experts’.
A senior hurling panel rarely stands still – players come, players go – circle of life stuff.
Of course, there are some panellists who remain longer than others, players whose loyalty to the cause has never been questioned, nor indeed their prowess with a hurley and sliothar. Ken McGrath is one of them.
Like his Mount Sion club mate Tony Browne, it’s difficult to imagine a time when Ken McGrath wasn’t hurling for Waterford.
I just hope we will see more of a fully-fit Ken in the white and blue this year. He is, for me without doubt, the greatest Waterford hurler since Phil Grimes was in his pomp in our Golden Era.
Memo to Davy Fitz: Play Ken on the ’40’, move Kevin Moran to centre half-back and Brick Walsh to mid-field and you will have the backbone of a team better than anything Kilkenny, Tipperary or any of the rest can muster.
It should be obvious to team mentors by now that we badly need someone to share the scoring burden with John Mullane, who has been brutally mandhandled by Cork and Tipperary defenders, especially, in recent years.
I rest my case until the McCarthy Cup is finally taken across Rice Bridge!
Roger Ryan, London.