Instead of cowering and lowering expectations, the ambition of this group will see them embrace the excitement and giddiness that is evident in Waterford.
“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
Alexander Graham Bell
Early season work with Jimmy McGuinness, allied to the consistent contribution of Sandra Molloy, Waterford’s sports psychologist, will ensure the razor like focus we will see in Walsh Park tomorrow will immediately shift to the Gaelic Grounds for Saturday week's meeting with the All-Ireland Champions.
Reading the body language and deciphering the soundbites from the Déise camp post league final success one doesn’t have to be Daniel Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence) to realise that Waterford have their scope fixed on different targets.
The decision by Liam Cahill and Mikey Bevans to recommit not alone has lifted spirits and expectations but has prompted what Dr. George Kohlreiser once termed 'The Law of Reciprocity'. This describes the desire of the reciprocal party to give back, to repay the loyalty and dedication of the leader. Cahill and Bevans will not self indulge and promote this theory but a crucible moment, a line in the sand, was created by Liam's decision and his players have duly responded.
Insecure leaders only want warriors who will obey orders — yes men. Great leaders want talent who will challenge too. This may involve bringing in people who are cleverer, more able or knowledgeable about certain things.
In my five years involved with Waterford I made at least three attempts to involve Tony Browne in our setup. While sharing a taxi home after our Munster Championship victory over Clare Tony talked about the “organised chaos” evident in a hurling match and of what I had termed “structured flair” at the time, the need for an almost madness within your play that would coincide with the flexibility to play in a number of ways. There is further evidence as to why Tony would have been, and is now, such an addition to the setup in his preview column ahead of our appearance in the All-Ireland Final of 2017. Writing in the Irish Examiner, Tony stood out from the crowd.
“It’s more than just a defensive system. If you look at the scores Waterford have put up this year, it’s a rapid quick counter-attacking system, very much designed to create space at the other end."
Tony's ability to read what teams were and are now doing stood out five years ago.
Recently, Anthony Daly and Liam Sheedy commented that Waterford “put up a wall in front of Tadgh and let him sit back”.
The evolution now allows Tadgh to be covered by a forward and occasionally bomb forward and score from distance. The key difference though is that Waterford’s wall is REAL, it's built with a potent mix of hunger, skill, pace and savagery. The hunt-in-packs mentality exists in most teams, but when you are pursuing something that you have not had in your possession for 63 years than the hunt is more obsessive.
This pack, which will include half-forwards Jack Prendergast, Neil Montgomery, Patrick Curran often includes one from the full-forward line too.
Dessie Hutchinson, knowing he was being tagged so vigorously by Seán O'Donoghue, spent lots of time in the half-forward line in the league final, creating space for Mikey Kiely and Stevie Bennett to make hay.
Central to Waterford's gameplan has been the form of the new midfield partnership of Darragh Lyons and Carthach Daly. With last year's starting midfielders Jamie Barron and Peter Hogan providing a timely boost with a return to training, both Lyons and Daly have been masterful.
Pádraig Walsh's six-point salvo in Nowlan Park prompted management to ensure that Tadgh would have a new go-to guy in terms of covering the opposition's deep 11 and Lyons has performed this role to perfection.
Cathrach has been sensational. A coiled spring of pluck, gumption, innocence, strength and pace, those of us who have followed his career closely will know that this was coming. We would have witnessed him overcoming the difficulty of not making certain development squads, developing himself physically, relishing man-marking jobs on the likes of Cathal O' Neill and JD Devaney and undoubtedly benefitting from the guidance and hurling nous of Donal O' Mahony during his time at CBC.
Of course the greatest guidance and support for both Carthach and Iarlaith comes from their brilliant parents Niall and Geraldine and brother Fionn. They will have the lads well prepared for the vicissitudes of fortune that accompany the modern game.
In many ways therein lies the strength of this group of Waterford lads. Take the well thought out, caveated speech of Conor Prunty in Thurles. The urge to “stay patient with us”, the subtle extension of gratitude to Liam Cahill, and the understated invitation that “we'll see you all in Walsh Park” signposts a team coming to the peak of its powers.
Charles Kettering famously said “high achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation” and this echoes the new psychology of this team. Instead of cowering and lowering expectations, the humility of the group, the ambition of the group,will see them embrace the excitement and giddiness that is evident in Waterford.
Tipperary's belief system is far different. Yes, I well know about the freedom that the underdog tag provides as well as the 'there’s always hurlers in Tipperary' mantra. But the dynamic has changed dramatically.
A potential sextet of forwards from Mikey Breen, Noel McGrath, Jake Morris, John McGrath, Mark Kehoe, Jason Forde and Bonner Maher could hurt any opposition. But doubts persist over that sextet's ability to make the kind of wall in front of Ronan Maher that Waterford will erect in front of Tadgh.
Flooding the middle third, offloading off the shoulder, and countering at pace is a game that seems almost alien to Tipperary. Perhaps they will see Walsh Park as an opportunity to go long and direct, echoing their first-half approach against Limerick in last year's Munster Final.
The crucial aspect of their setup that day was Dan McCormack's policing of Cian Lynch which allowed Brendan Maher to sweep. They also put a hybrid concentration on Declan Hannon with Jason Forde and Bubbles occupying him from in front and behind. This prompted John Kiely to reflect afterwards that “they stretched us every way... they had an extra defender at the back and we couldn’t manage it”.
Tipperary will have to be innovative to have any chance and even so Waterford have the flexibility, the diligence, a returning Austin Gleeson, and crucially the bench to win with a bit to spare.
While we have lived with an almost perpetual state of expectation over the last 63 years concerning the possible arrival of Liam MacCarthy, what separates this squad more than anything else is the innate feeling that they are on a mission led by a general in Cahill who will stop at nothing to achieve it.
Waterford head into Walsh Park bloodthirsty and ready to kill. Tipperary, in contrast, are in survival mode. The excitement around the Waterford team may have hindered previous teams but not these lads. Their steadiness and brilliance sets them apart.
Michael Jordan famously said: “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you will never change the outcome."
These lads will view pressure as a privilege, will embrace the excitement and expectation, and can recover from a possible mid-championship dip to finally get up the steps.
