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Hurling

"I think Mattie Kenny actually met some of the Waterford players early on before there was anyone appointed"

It's a been a Munster Championship to forget for Waterford so far. They have suffered three losse...



Hurling

"I think Mattie Kenny actually met some of the Waterford players early on before there was anyone appointed"

It's a been a Munster Championship to forget for Waterford so far.

They have suffered three losses from three with the latest setback against All-Ireland champions Limerick.

Thus, it's been a tough first year in charge for manager Padraic Fanning.

Ex-Clare All-Ireland winner Jamesie O'Connor and former Deise star Paul Flynn joined us to analyse the weekend's hurling.

And they touched on Waterford's evident problems.

"We're very easy to score against from distance," said Flynn.

Defensive

"I think teams have copped on that you don't need to attack Waterford. Just take your long-range scores. That's frustrating and the fact that if there's 6-8 points in it, we're still a defensive team.

"I think the current set of players are happy playing that system. I don't think they want to change. So I think from that point of view, Padraic and this management team obviously are stuck between two stools. Whether they want to bring this Waterford team further on and maybe bring in some new blood that won a U21 All-Ireland three or four years ago."

But he also touched on a point made by Laois manager and Kilkenny legend Eddie Brennan that some of the panel wanted Dublin manager Mattie Kenny to succeed Derek McGrath after 2018.

"Eddie is right there. I think Mattie Kenny actually met some of the players early on before there was anyone appointed. So I don't think Eddie was wrong there," said Flynn.

"Mattie Kenny's name was certainly bantered around Waterford five or six weeks early on in the process of appointing a manager. It was even mentioned at times that he had the job and he had to go away and think about it.

" But Padraic Fanning has been involved with Waterford hurling for 20 years. He'd done his apprenticeship with club teams and he was a selector for Davy with Waterford and Wexford."

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Hurling Jamesie O'connor Off The Ball Padraic Fanning Paul Flynn Tipperary Waterford