2026 must be the year the Déise get out of Munster

It’s hard to believe there’s just over 100 days until Waterford will take on Clare in Ennis for their Munster Championship opener.

What constitutes success for the Déise in 2026? Getting out of Munster. Anything else beyond that is a bonus.

I was at a frozen Fethard Town Park on Saturday for the Déise’s Munster Senior Hurling League opener against the All-Ireland champions Tipperary. It’s fair to say that many of the players on display on both sides might not see minutes during the cut and thrust of championship itself, but still - there were definitely positives for Peter Queally and his management team to take away as preparations ramp up for the National Hurling League.

As things stand, it looks like Waterford might be without some familiar faces for their league campaign - but that said, it will do no harm for some fledgling talents to be able to put their hands up for consideration ahead of that trip to Clare on April 19th. That’s the day being circled on the calendar.

Expectations were far from sky high going into Munster last year from Déise supporters, but again once an opening day victory was achieved, there was an inevitable sense of anticipation that the second win would come in the three games that followed and Waterford would finally break their round-robin rut.

The difference this time might be by virtue of personnel available, and league form will be far more relevant this time out - but there’s nothing pointing out to me that says Waterford have regressed or are any less likely to achieve that goal in 2026 than they were in 2025. There isn’t loads to suggest we’re any better placed, but momentum will be absolutely everything.

Last year, Waterford went into Munster with a small tinge of morale and a winning habit - but there’s a big difference between cantering past Westmeath, Antrim and Laois than there is going toe to toe with the likes of Limerick, Cork and Tipperary.

Waterford’s league campaign will begin with a trip to Cork, followed by home clashes against Limerick and Offaly, a meeting with Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, another journey to Galway, and it finishes with the visit of Tipperary to Walsh Park. Call me ambitious, I think Waterford will win three of these games.

Three wins against counties of those calibre will be far more morale boosting than hitting 7-30 against minnows in the lower division, and while the Munster Senior Hurling League might be considered a pain in the backside by some for a fixture congestion point of view - again, more chances to get minutes into some legs, more clashes with quality opposition, will do far more good than harm.

Momentum is everything in sport and hurling is no different. Tipperary trailed Waterford midway through the second half at Semple Stadium last summer and found momentum when they needed it most. Waterford went home a week later and Tipperary went on to lift Liam McCarthy. Small margins can lead you to unprecedented lands.

Trips to Ennis and Limerick and home clashes against Tipperary and Cork will decide the Déise’s fate in Munster this year - and while it sounds obvious and cliché, the reality is that if either the Premier or the Rebels leave Walsh Park with points, Waterford will be licking their wounds in May.

There will be plenty of opportunities to get shots in the arm. The All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship victory in June felt like the first red letter day in so long for the Déise faithful, and with green shoots underage and a potential Ballygunner All-Ireland victory to come in the weeks ahead - sources of optimism hopefully won’t be in short supply.

Inevitably, big players will have to step up - who’ll lift the scoring burden off Stephen Bennett’s shoulders? Will we see some players ‘arrive’ in Waterford white and blue? Will the return of Calum Lyons and company galvanise the group? The picture will become a lot clearer in the weeks to come. Can club form become county form? The difference is sizable, but the potential is certainly there.

Much will be made of the news this week regarding Austin Gleeson’s likely departure. He hit 0-26 for Mount Sion and showed glimpses of his brilliant best in the club championship, but injuries continue to hamper him and have proved an endless source of frustration to both Gleeson and supporters alike. Everyone seems to have an opinion about Austin, a lot of them don’t warrant attention - but one thing no one can deny is Waterford with a fit and firing Austin Gleeson in their arsenal are a far better unit than they are without him.

People love to spin the narrative that the 2016 Hurler of the Year is some sort of a one-season wonder but it couldn’t be any wider of the mark. Yes, maybe things haven’t worked out as they should’ve. He’s still played for his county 82 times at senior level. He’s been there since 2013 - we’re now in 2026. His service and commitment constantly come under scrutiny but it has been no less than many of those around him. The issue a lot of people have with Austin Gleeson, is the fact he is Austin Gleeson. If we have seen the last of him in a county jersey, then in my book - that’s a real shame. He should be lauded, not loathed.

With or without Austin, the goal couldn’t be any clearer. Even if Waterford don’t go a day further past the next obstacle afterward - getting out of Munster is a successful 2026 in my book. That might seem a conservative goal but the reality is it’s something that hasn’t been achieved before, and until you do achieve it - you can’t waste your time thinking about anything else.

Some people, a lot of them from Waterford, will spin the narrative that this county is a million miles away from the others. They’re not. They beat Clare last year, beat Cork the year before and were well in it approaching the finish last year, they have a good record against Tipperary in recent years - it’s Limerick if anyone who have proved Déise kryptonite.

No one knows what’s going to happen but that’s the beauty of it. There will be tough days and there will be soul searching but the hints of hope in between are what will keep the turnstiles clicking.

If performances aren’t good enough, the players won’t need the supporters pasting them to know - that’s Peter Queally’s job to deliver home truths when necessary. There’ll be time enough for post mortems when the dust settles on 2026, until it does - encourage, don’t knock.

Fingers crossed for a breakthrough, one step at a time. Happy New Year, a new dawn, a new opportunity.