Taking the league seriously

Waterford manager Gerald McCarthy stands out among his peers in one specific respect. He doesn't equivocate when asked about his ambitions in the National Hurling League.

"I've said from the very start that for Waterford to win a national title would be wonderful," he says a day after his team had taken an impressive step in the direction of the league by touching off All-Ireland champions Cork in injury-time.

He's as aware as anyone that similar aspirations don't burn in the breast of every county manager but explains why he and his team are different. "It's said that stronger counties don't take these games seriously but we've had two great matches against Kilkenny and Cork. On Sunday, Cork had nearly all their All-Ireland team on within 10 minutes of the second half starting.

"Teams like Waterford suffer confidence-wise when things go badly at this time of the year. Last season we came under pressure in the league early on and struggled to regain form. Stronger teams and genuine fans may be a bit dismissive about the league but we have to go hell-for-leather."

McCarthy's perspective has been substantiated by the team's experience. Two years ago, they reached a league final and were unlucky to lose to Cork but went on to enjoy their best championship in 35 years, losing the All-Ireland semi-final to Kilkenny by a point.

In 1999, however, a mediocre league campaign was followed by an unexpected defeat, again at the hands of Cork who were building up the momentum which was to carry them to the All-Ireland championship.

It has been an irony of McCarthy's four years as manager that his largely successful efforts to maintain Waterford as serious contenders have been blighted more often by his own county Cork than any other. Sunday was the first league win over Cork since 1987 and the previous championship victory is only two years fresher.

Although careful to point out that his side did defeat Cork in the South-East League final two years ago, McCarthy acknowledges that - "in real competition" - the fixture had been causing problems. "Statistics prove they've been a bogey team so it was good to deal with that. But it's a league game and we're not getting carried away."

He is cautious about where the win leaves his team. "We're going to Portlaoise next. I think we've been unlucky with the timing of some of our games. We started in Derry and I knew their first game would probably be their best because by the end of the season they might be a bit demoralised. Now we play Laois just as they've appointed new management after a bad start."

"If we lose to Tipperary and Kilkenny win the rest of their games - which isn't that unrealistic - you'll have three teams with one defeat each so we're keeping our feet on the ground."

Mention of Tipperary has to suggest a wider context. The teams meet in the Munster championship on May 28th. In the meantime, they could conceivably play twice in the league, once in the divisional meeting on April 16th and again should both teams reach the final, scheduled for a fortnight before the big meeting in Cork.

"It can be a problem knowing how much of your hand to show," he says of the eagerly awaited meeting at Walsh Park in three weeks, "and I'm sure Nicky English might have preferred it differently. Had we both kept winning, our last game mightn't have mattered but it hasn't turned out that way."

Galway hurler Rory Gantley has been selected as the Eircell GAA All Stars Player of the Month for February. The award is in recognition of his performances in the National Hurling League fixtures last month. Galway currently top Division One A with a 100 per cent record. During February, the county - league finalists last year - beat Offaly and Clare. Gantley scored 0-2 in the first match and an impressive 1-8 (including 0-6 from play) against Clare. A minor All-Ireland winner in 1994 and three times a defeated under-21 finalist, he won a Railway Cup medal with Connacht last year.