As Jackie Tyrrell said earlier in the year, 'I see these water-breaks, and there's not much water being drank.'
Water-breaks were brought into the GAA for a specific reason at the start of last year, but as the time has gone on, it's clear that they're being used in completely different terms. Nowadays, managers, coaches and selectors are at the centre of the whole thing as, opposed to the original purpose of water being drank, tactics, plans and match-ups are discussed.
Limerick take the thing a step further.
And so as Michael Duignan watched them, 15 minutes into the first half of this All-Ireland semi-final against Waterford, standing over and staring into a tactics board with magnets moving and plans changing, the Offaly man had seen enough. "The water-breaks have to go," said the Offaly man, who reckons that some teams are gaining an unfair and unnatural advantage from the time-out.
Waterford, having horsed into Limerick like men possessed in the opening stages, were a point down heading into the water-break but they were seven adrift going in at half-time.
"They were brought in because of Covid," continued Duignan, who was on commentary duty for RTÉ, "but they're being used now to alter tactics, to come to terms with a game. It's not right."
It would probably have happened anyway, given the quality of the hurling being played by Lynch, Flanagan, Hayes and co. but on the back of their tactical discussion, Limerick seemed to really get to grips with the Waterford game-plan as the Déise's early enthusiasm waned.
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