By Cian O'Connell

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A second Munster SHC Final appearance in two years is a sign of the rapid progress Waterford are making under Derek McGrath.

So Jamie Barron accepts that Waterford are 'in a better position' in 2016. "I suppose you have to be in a better position," Barron remarked. 

"We're a young enough team, we're maturing a bit, we're after building over the winter, we done a lot of gym work and a lot of fitness, it's just adding to the bank that we've already built up so we have to be in a better place."

When asked why Tipp prevailed in the 2015 provincial decider Barron responds. "It's hard to know," Barron admits.

"Maybe people were saying we were too defensive, we didn't attack it enough, but I suppose at the end of the day Tipp are a serious team, you can't take that away from them, they're All-Ireland contenders this year, up there with Kilkenny probably as joint favourites. 

"They've had experience, they played in an All-Ireland the year before, they've done it all, they won in 2010. I suppose on the day maybe their experience got them over the line."

Waterford, though, are back where they want to be with Pauric Mahony's return from injury a significant boost according to Barron.

"Absolutely, Pauric is probably rated up there with one of the best forwards in the country on his day so to have fellas like himself coming back, and more felas from injury, I suppose Maurice (Shanahan) was missing during the league for a while," Barron said. 

"Fellas like that are up there with the best forwards in the country and to have them back and playing to the best of their ability, and even for his frees he's as accurate as anyone out there so just having that back.  He's really working hard in training and bringing good vibes to the field so it's good to have lads like him back in the panel."

How important is it for Waterford to defeat Tipperary having lost Munster Finals against the Premier County in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015.

"Absolutely, I think yeah. Even in the league we set that game as another game where we needed to go out, put in a performance and hopefully get a result which we did and I think even results like that in the league, which is gone as competitive as Championship, them sort of things get the monkey off your back. 

"That kind of gives us the belief that we are able to compete with the likes of Tipp and Kilkenny."

Waterford simply crave silverware.  "I think it's massive, every team in the Championship wants to win silverware so we're no different. 

"It's obviously massive for us, we won the league last year but Championship is where you want to be winning your trophies and I think this year we've set out our aims and targets and hopefully silverware is going to be on the table at the end of the year."