Derek McGrath is looking forward to his involvement with the Laois minor hurlers next year while his faith in the Waterford hurlers remains undimmed.

The former Waterford senior boss and Electric Ireland Minor Star Awards judge Derek McGrath explained how the link up with O’Moore County came about at Saturday night’s Electric Ireland Minor Star Awards in Croke Park.

He also expressed his confidence in the ability of his ex-Waterford players to bounce back from this summer’s disappointing displays.

On his involvement with Laois next year:

“I was lucky enough to play a number of years minor with Waterford, hadn’t a hugely successful playing career with Waterford seniors. I’m involved in various school teams through my job as a school teacher in De La Salle and made a connection with a guy in Laois and will be starting a new course in positive psychology and coaching in the autumn and it links in well with a placement with Laois. I’ll be there in an ancillary coaching role but I’m looking forward to it because it allows me to do the course to upskill in that whole area of psychology and to get back in the field in some capacity.”

On Waterford’s current player base:

“We had a difficult season in my last year in 2018 and we had a difficult season last year through no fault of anyone as such I think things can materialise like that I think he’ll get a hungry group of players. The perception is that there needs to be changes made, I’d be careful round that perception because sometimes its peaks and troughs with groups. We’ve hit a bit of a dip but I think the players are good enough to remerge and focus on a good year you know small steps I think. I think there is an element of realism needed now from us all in Waterford that these small steps need to be appreciated as much as anything else and not leave the whole idea of we need to get a win in the Munster championship follow us around.”

On Tadhg De Burca’s injury:

“Tadhg is one of the nicest young lads you’ll ever meet and one of the most focused young lads you’ll ever meet. One of the best hurlers I’ve ever been involved with I have to say through all my years working with De La Salle and lucky enough to be involved with him, a credit to his family and his club. When you hear that Tadhg has gone down, he just doesn’t go down, you know it’s just part of his warrior spirit that he has, so I heard then the subsequent ACL injury diagnosis. I just sent him a text to see if everything was organised for him, and it was. He faces a long recovery but all he needs to do is take solace in what Henry Shefflin has done over the years and what other guys who have done their cruciate have done.”

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