By John Harrington

Kevin Moran doesn’t agree with the notion that the current group of Waterford hurlers are artisans compared to the artists who helped Waterford win four Munster titles from 2002 to 2010.

That team played a swashbuckling brand of hurling and boasted flair players like Ken McGrath, Paul Flynn, Dan Shanahan, Eoin Kelly, and John Mullane.

The current side is arguably a more well-balanced team and certainly a more tactically astute one, but the perception even in their own county is that they don’t possess the same style and skill their predecessors did.

Current team captain Moran is in a good position to pass a definitive judgement on that considering he was a member of the Waterford panel that lost the 2008 All-Ireland Hurling Final and played with all those former legends.

And, as far as he’s concerned, even members of the current panel that aren’t on the first XV are most skilful than 90% of the players who hurled for Waterford in the noughties.

“The game has changed,” reasons Moran. “If you look back on games that might pop up on your telly from 15 years ago you would be kind of...not laughing...but it’s totally different.

“But, sure, that’s the same with every sport. If you look at pictures of matches of Roy Keane and going back to as far as Beckenbauer it’s a totally different game.

“The players now look quicker and fitter and the ball is moving quicker, there seems to be more skill, the pitches are better. All of that is a contributing factor.

“The team that I came into when I was 18 more than 10 years ago, they were some of the best hurlers Waterford has ever produced but, what, do we keep trying to do that and produce these types of players? 

“I’m training with lads now who mightn’t even be on the starting 15 but are more skilful than 90% of the lads that were there when I first came onto the panel and that’s just the way it is.

“The skill level is absolutely through the roof, way ahead of where it was. The speed, the fitness, everything got to do with it.

“Plus the workload you’re putting in is far superior than when I first started. If you’re putting in all that you have to be careful about what you’re doing with the ball. You have to use the ball as efficiently as possible.

“Waterford have suffered heartache from seven-goal drubbings against Tipperary in a Munster final to being absolutely hammered in the 2008 All-Ireland final by a super team but that doesn’t make it any easier for ourselves.

“We have to try and set up as best we can to prevent teams from scoring goals because the more goals you score the more chance you have of winning it and the more goals you concede the less chance you have.”

Waterford’s pragmatic approach has brought them as far as tomorrow’s All-Ireland SHC Final against Galway, but even still many people within the county would question manager Derek McGrath’s use of a sweeper.

“I don’t want to go into the whole traditionalists and all this kind of stuff and why sometimes we are labelled but that man over there (McGrath) the amount of stuff that has been said from both in and outside the county if he took it literally it would break any man,” says Moran.

“In saying that, there had been great support from the good people within the county that know how much this team have put in. That’s reassuring and it’s great to be involved in it.”

Waterford have plenty of doubters outside of the county too, including the captain of the Galway team they’ll face tomorrow, David Burke.

He tipped Cork to beat Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-final and at the same time suggested a team couldn’t win the Liam MacCarthy Cup with a sweeper.

“I didn’t actually know he said that, to be honest with you,” says Moran.

“David Burke is one of the best midfielders in the last five years, he’s a fantastic hurler. Obviously, I’m not going to read papers.

“We play in a certain way a lot of teams actually play. Sometimes, with other teams, it’s termed a deep-lying half-forward but with us it’s different. That’s another day’s work.

“Look, we have to play to our strengths. I think the game is evolving constantly and you see that with all the top teams.

“When things like that are said, it’s water off a duck’s back at this stage. We have to keep going, have to do what’s right for us.

“If we take what people from the outside are saying, sure it would cripple any man especially this year so we have to stick to what we and Derek believe in, what suits us.

“There are hundreds of people, I’m sure, that are high up who have a lot to say on us and blah-de-blah and those critics are entitled to their opinion.”

There was certainly no shortage of critics after Waterford were beaten by Cork in the Munster SHC semi-final this year.

Derek McGrath’s tactical approach to the game was questioned more loudly than ever within the county, but, vitally, no-one within the camp lost faith.

“100%”, says Moran. “I think that’s important. I think we have 55 people in the whole lot and every single one of us had to improve.

“If that the guys carrying the hurleys or Benny looking after expenses and tickets, everybody just had to pick it up a notch. In fairness, everybody did and it was an integral thing. We said we had to get better.

“There were no major changes like scrapping this and scrapping that, just small things to get a percent here and there. The big thing was we didn’t look past Offaly – we gave them as much respect as we did to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final.

“We prepared equally, did the same things in the lead-up to the match. It’s a good habit to get into when you’re playing games every two weeks.

“It’s something we’re proud of, that we realised we had to pick things up a notch and things weren’t where we wanted them to be and we’ve won three or four games now on the bounce and are in an All-Ireland Final.”

There’s no shortage of confidence in the Waterford camp, but having watched Galway defeat reigning champions Tipperary in their semi-final, Moran is all too aware they represent a massive challenge.

“I watched it at home. I really enjoyed it, sitting back as a pure neutral,” says Moran. “It’s nice to take a back seat sometimes and enjoy it. It was very enjoyable and the score at the end I don’t think there’s too many in the country who could do that, just a flick of the wrists from probably 80 yards on the sideline.

“Two fantastic teams, the calibre of players was exceptional. Joe stood up and got the all-important score when time was up. I think they deserved it on the day. Defensively, they’re very strong and they’ve an excellent set of forwards.

“Conor Whelan is a fantastic player and has had a fantastic year. The speed and the strength work they have done is fairly evident.

“They’re in a good place as well obviously and if we are to have a chance we’ll have to try and get them out of their groove but that’s going to be very difficult.”