This year’s GAA All Ireland Hurling final will be Live on Sky Sport Mix with former Kilkenny star JJ Delaney providing analysis.
By Cian O'Connell
Former Kilkenny star JJ Delaney has been hugely impressed with Liam Cahill's first campaign as a senior inter-county manager.
Cahill steered his native Tipperary to All Ireland minor, Under 21, and Under 20 glory in recent years.
Now, though, Cahill is enjoying a productive stint in charge of Waterford, who face Limerick at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon in the senior decider.
"It is unbelievable the job he is after doing," Delaney says. "From day one he introduced his style of play.
"Go back to the league game against Cork; Cork got a couple of goals early on, but it did not bother them it was just, work, work, work. "Everyone knows what he did at the start of the league, dropping a couple of players, he wanted fresh legs in around the place.
"That is his style of play, hooking, blocking, that middle third and Dessie Hutchinson has been a huge plus as well.
"Dessie is the corner forward that Waterford have been crying out for since John Mullane retired, he is the best corner-forward since him.
"Austin Gleeson is taking over an individual role whereas before he tried to do almost too much hurling, they were moving him wing-forward, midfield, half back and Liam Cahill had a chat with him and said “you are either going to be centre-forward or full-forward, they are the only two positions I want you to play and all I want you to do is to work hard for the team.
Waterford senior hurling manager Liam Cahill.
"He does not have to win the whole game himself, in fairness he is probably used to all the underage success he has had himself so he is after giving each individual player a focus but even the players that come off the bench, Darragh Lyons, all these guys, know what they have to do and they work hard first."
The confidence generated reaching the decider carries a significant impact according to Delaney.
"He is after doing a huge job, he probably did not expect to get to an All-Ireland final so quickly, but they are on the crest of a wave at the moment and the confidence is through the roof," Delaney adds.
"You can see they are filling out the Waterford jersey a lot bigger now at the moment. It is a huge thing."
Will the fact that no crowd is allowed lighten the expectation on Waterford?
"I think on the day it is not going to make any difference, but this week, in the build-up to the match, I think it will make a huge difference," Delaney replies.
"If the guys are working from home, they are not out and about meeting the public because in the week coming up to an All-Ireland final.
"All people want to talk about, anyone you meet on the street, all they will want to talk about is the game and it is the last thing that you want to talk about.
Dessie Hutchinson has impressed for Waterford throughout 2020.
"You just want to get on with your work because it will distract you come the game on the weekend."
Delaney was involved in the 2008 final when Kilkenny proved too strong for Waterford.
"Waterford have spent a bit of emotion before; going back to 2008 in the parade they were looking up into the crowd and all that kind of stuff, but I think Liam Cahill has the players focussed and tuned into the way he is thinking," Delaney remarks.
"He wants them to work harder and once you have that focus in your mind, I don’t think the lack of a crowd will be a huge issue, but this week coming up to the game I think it will help them in that they can escape away from it.
"There are no crowds at training, they just train away themselves. It is like a normal week coming up to a standard match and that is the way they have to approach it."
Ultimately Delaney is adamant this is a 'massive opportunity' for the Deise. "The focus will be on this Waterford team to get over the line, Limerick have been there and done that a couple of years ago so they will have that advantage over them.
"To me, as a player, I would be looking at it as a massive opportunity for the Waterford players because I will be the first player to win this since the 50’s, it is an unbelievable opportunity for the Waterford team.
"And I would look at it as an opportunity rather than burden on the shoulders, that is the way I would be looking at it."
