Waterford will look to get back to the Division 1 National Hurling final for the first time since 2016 should they defeat last year’s All-Ireland finalists Galway at Nowlan Park on Sunday.
The Deise lost narrowly to Clare in the 2016 final but look on course to challenge for the league title this season after winning four out of five games in Division 1B, with a plus 57 point differential.
At the time of writing, Galway hold a two-point lead over Pauric Fanning’s side but long range points from the likes of Stephen Bennett are certainly helping to put a dent into that slender advantage.
Out on the sideline! What a point by @WaterfordGAA Stephen Bennett
Ard scór ag Bennett!@MunsterGAA #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/ZFh93XJCgt
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) March 24, 2019
One of the big challenges for Waterford has bee how to best utilise the talents of the prodigious Austin Gleeson and Brian Carroll believes that the Waterford forward line are a lot more fluid under Fanning.
“My take on that was that all six forwards were moving,” he said on the GAA Hour.
“The two Bennetts might have stayed inside but Pauric Mahony, Kearney, they were moving everywhere – picking up one of the three positions in that half forward line. One would fall in and one would fall out…I think it was overplayed about this roving role…”
