Noel Connors expecting Waterford to develop their game plan

Waterford's All Star corner back Noel Connors has said the team will need to evolve beyond their defensive orientation in order to build on last year's hugely encouraging season, which saw a league title, Munster final appearance and a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2011.

He was replying to a question about whether he believed other counties would have his team figured out after last year’s success.

“I think it was even more evident as you went on in the championship; it was that more people were trying to understand or trying to counteract what we were doing, to an extent.

“Look, we’ll have to change, and it probably goes back to the point of the question earlier – that if we don’t change, we might struggle for the vast majority of games.

Business terminology

“It’s like that whole notion that change is inevitable. If you don’t change you’re lost, and that’s probably a whole business terminology but it’s very applicable to sport.

"But I'm sure that Derek (Waterford manager Derek McGrath) being the person that never stops thinking, has a couple of plans to try and counteract the whole thing or maybe have a few new ideas on how to take a few steps forward and maybe get to the All-Ireland final or even win it. That's the overall aspiration."

Connors said that he expected opponents, “to try and rectify some of the areas that teams have fallen down on and maybe try and nullify some of our forwards, the likes of Maurice, and the likes of Kevin (Moran) in midfield, to stop him running. And if we don’t change that, we’re obviously going to take a step back in that instance.”

Waterford's Munster Senior League match with Limerick was called off at the weekend but will be played next week.

Asked about the Munster Council decision to bar third-level colleges from their customary involvement in the league, Connors was uncertain of the move’s merits.

“It’s probably a very difficult one to try and give an answer because we’re at totally opposite ends of the spectrum. They’re probably trying to peak now for the next couple of weeks, coming into Fitzgibbon, where a lot of inter-county teams are trying to peak for the league and the championship.

“So, is it beneficial for them to be gone and for the Munster league to go ahead? It’s very hard to know; I’ll probably tell you this time next year because you’ll have a better understanding when it comes to it.”

Top scorer

One indisputably beneficial development for Waterford is the ongoing return to fitness of Pauric Mahony, the team’s top scorer in the NHL victory last year.

Unfortunately for the player and for Waterford, he was ruled out of championship after a serious injury sustained in a club match.

“He’s been in the gym before he probably could be able to walk and I suppose that’s testament to the character he has. He’s back in and jogging at the moment, probably still a small bit away from where he is to being selected.

“I suppose it’s good to see him coming back into the panel and it brings that bit of experience and it definitely inspires a lot of young lads to see what he has gone through in the last couple of months.”