Accentuate the positives.
If you’re a Dublin hurling fan then this summer has been most confusing.
You have seen your side almost beat Galway in a Leinster q-final, then did see them get hammered by the Tribesmen in a replay, before finding enough to overcome a limited Laois side to set up a huge clash with Limerick.
The Munster outfit under-performed in the provincial semi final, and Dublin had several questions to answer to both themselves and to the critics.
But Ger Cunningham’s men got an A+ for their battling qualities to eek out a one point win and set up a q-final win with Waterford in 10 days team.
So what did we learn from the action in Thurles and how confident should Dublin be ahead of facing a wounded Waterford side?
Paul Ryan is back
As a player, there can’t be many worse things than being a sub, getting a chance to make an impact, and then it’s decided that you’re just not performing.
Paul Ryan’s dejection when he was hauled off in the drubbing by Galway after his introduction, just before half time, was clear for everyone to see. It was a baffling decision and one that the Ballyboden man clearly took to heart.
On Saturday the pent up frustration off the last month erupted as every time he so much as glanced at the posts his shots went over the bar.
Her scored 0-12, but his performance overall in terms of the positions he took up, the energy he showed to put pressure on the Limerick defence as well as his encouragement of his teammates was sadly lacking from Dublin players in the championship up to last Saturday.
Conal Keaney and Mark Schutte played well in patches but Ryan was superb from start to finish.
His free taking has often been questioned, but 0-6 from placed balls was impressive, even if he did miss an important score before half time. Dublin, once again, have a genuine goal threat in their full-forward line.
Ryan’s renaissance as come at exactly the right time for Cunningham and Dublin.
Liam Rushe’s natural position is centre back
If Ryan was shooting the lights out in the forwards, Liam Rushe has surely finally put the debate over his best position to bed.
Stationed at centre back it almost took him 20 minutes to get back into the groove of his more familiar position. Once he did so he was the platform for all of Dublin’s good work.
He is wonderful in the air, and helped by some wayward passes from Limerick, he hurled a huge amount of ball while giving a much maligned but improving Dublin full-back line an important defensive shield.
If Dublin are to prosper in the championship, he needs to be used in a position that will maximise what makes him one of the top hurlers in the country.
Cunningham felt a player of his ability could be converted into a forward.
He can’t and the experiment should be discontinued for the rest of Cunningham’s tenure in the capital.
Dublin have learned how to scrap
The groan that accompanied Paul Ryan’s missed free just before half-time could have been heard all the way to Tallaght. Dublin trailed by four having been confounded by Limerick’s movement as well as use of the space.
However, even going eight points behind, the men in blue still kept plugging away and they kicked on after a schoolboy error from Ritchie McCarthy and Seamus Hickey in the second half gave them a priceless goal.
Even after half-time, when they got level, Limerick powered ahead again by four but the goal spurred them on. They dug in, they showed some physical bite and they took their chances.
The in-game management by players such as Dotsy O’Callaghan as well as Ryan, Rushe and Ryan O’Dwyer was all massively important, as Limerick struggled to make sense of what was happening to them.
They will need their wits about them against Waterford, but it is encouraging that players are not always looking to the sideline to have decisions made for them.
Dublin finding their best 15
It was always going to take some time for Dublin to find their own identity under Ger Cunningham. Several years with Anthony Daly meant the players knew what to expect and so did the supporters and pundits.
Life under Ger Cunningham is a much different place. He moved players around as he wanted to challenge them in terms of their hurling, and he shook up the back room and how Dublin had done things for years.
It was no bad thing but it meant that square pegs were put in round holes and it has taken the Dublin boss almost eight months to come across possibly his best 15.
From the side that beat Limerick, Peter Kelly would be an addition to the defence while Joey Boland and David Treacy could find it easy to argue for their inclusion.
However that would be to do a disservice to players such as Cian O’Callaghan or Shane Barrett who have impressed when drafted into front line action this season.
An unchanged team from Dublin for the third game running would send a strong signal of the trust Cunningham has in his team and players at his disposal.
Winning is a habit
Dublin have secured back-to-back wins in the championship, and will come up against a Waterford side doubting themselves after their ‘system’ ground to a halt in Thurles, in the Munster final.
Confidence is the oxygen of this Dublin side. Cunningham now has two weeks to turn Dublin’s best performance since the 2013 championship season into a major plus ahead of their clash with Derek McGrath’s side.
Dublin have momentum, and have found a system and players in the right positions that make them physically tough to deal with, while there is also a clear belief in each player’s ability.
Waterford have still only lost one game all year, but the lesson for Dublin is to have have firm belief in doing the right things at all times much like their future opponents.
