Conor Murray of Waterford during the Tailteann Cup launch at Croke Park in Dublin.
By John Harrington
A trip to Croke Park for the Tailteann Cup launch on Monday was an opportunity for Waterford football team captain, Conor Murray, to reminisce.
Back in 2010 he came to headquarters on a mini-bus hired by his club Rathgormack to support the Waterford footballers against Limerick in the Allianz Football League Division Four Final.
He can remember watching the Waterford players rush onto the pitch and thinking that maybe that could be him some day.
Waterford haven't been back to Croke Park since that match, but for Murray it now seems like a realistic aspiration again thanks to the advent of the Tailteann Cup.
The semi-finals and final of the competition will be played there, and the current Waterford captain can't help but dream of how big a buzz it would be to part of those occasions.
“I'd love to,” he said. “Being out there today, I was saying, 'Jesus Christ, I'd love to play here!'. Hopefully this competition might provide that opportunity.
“You'd hear a few of the Leinster lads giving out there about playing up here. I'd give my right arm to play a game here."
It's easy to see why the prospect of playing in the Tailteann Cup rather than the All-Ireland Qualifiers is one that might enthuse the Waterford footballers.
They've won just one Championship match in the last 10 years, a 2018 All-Ireland Qualifier victory over Wexford, so summer campaigns have consistently been short and not so sweet.
Conor Murray of Waterford before the Munster GAA Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final match between Waterford and Tipperary at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, Waterford.
Murray believes the opportunity to instead play in a meaningful competition against teams of a similar standard rather than consistently suffer beatings that make it harder to retain players could be a watershed experience for Waterford football.
“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “To be honest, the League is the best competition for us. Against Division Three and Four teams you're competitive and that's what you want.
“Of course, everyone would love win a Sam Maguire and an All-Ireland but that's not realistic for most teams in Ireland. So a competition like this is a step in the right direction.
“You're guaranteed to be playing someone at your level. When you go into a Qualifier draw you could get anyone. You could get a Division 2 team and you're really up against it and it's hard to get lads to buy in.
“That’s the big problem we've had the last few years, player turnover. It's been really hard to keep the same squad together. Every year you're back to square one.
“When Ephie Fitzgerald came in at the start of the year himself and Peter (Leahy) put a big emphasis on the fact that this isn't a one year job, it's a two or three year process.
“So if it doesn't work out next week against Wicklow, that's fine, we'll go again and we'll start straight away building for next year.
“It's a two or three year process and this is part of the journey. Hopefully we can put in a good performance.”
In attendance are; front row, from left, Darragh Foley of Carlow, Declan McCusker of Fermanagh, Kevin Maguire of Westmeath, Evan O’Carroll of Laois, Mickey Quinn of Longford, Johnny Moloney of Offaly, Niall Murphy of Sligo, Dean Healy of Wicklow and Mark Diffley of Leitrim. Back row from left, Martin O’Connor of Wexford, Conor Murray of Waterford, Killian Clarke of Cavan, Conor Stewart of Antrim, Teddy Doyle of Tipperary and Barry O’Hagan of Down during the Tailteann Cup launch at Croke Park in Dublin.
Murray’s own commitment to the cause of Waterford football certainly couldn’t be questioned.
He’s been one of their most consistent performers for the last eight years after coming straight into the senior team out of the minor grade and has never questioned his desire to wear the county jersey.
“I suppose it's the best level of football that I can play at given where I'm from,” he said. “That's what keeps me at it, just trying to be the best I can. That's what keeps the other lads who've been there.
“There's four or five of us who've been there the last seven or eight years. If you don't have that attitude you won't stick at it. If you're there looking to win something you're in the wrong business.
“It comes down to mindset and it comes down to the attitude. If that's right you'll stick at it. When you do have your good days it is worth it.
“I've only won one Championship game in six or seven years against Wexford three or four years ago and it was brilliant. Even League games that you win, it just gives you a boost and makes it that bit easier. That's why we stick around and stick at it.”
Murray believes there has been a shift in mindset in the Waterford camp since Fitzgerald was appointed manager in October last year with the Cork man’s winning mentality starting to rub off on the players.
“We tend to feel a bit sorry for ourselves in Waterford,” said Murray.
“That's something he's trying to get rid of. He's trying to get rid of that loser's mentality. When things start to go wrong, we tend to give up and revert to type. He's trying to get a bit of a steely edge into us.
“I suppose a bit of his Cork arrogance. He's trying to pass a bit of that onto us. That will stand us in good stead if he can get that into us.”
