Semple Stadium Thurles is predictably the venue for Sunday week's National Hurling League semi-finals involving four Munster teams. The Waterford v Limerick clash starts at 2.00pm with the Cork-Clare clash fixed for 3.30pm. Liam Griffin, the former Wexford manager, dismisses any notion of a Munster take over as a consequence of the monopoly asserted by the province in this instance. Griffin attaches no significance to the absence of a Leinster team, or Galway, at the penultimate stage of the League.
"It has just worked out that way, for reasons that have nothing to do with standards. Offaly were tied up with All-Ireland club commitment, Kilkenny were in turmoil at a crucial stage over the DJ Carey situation, We (Wexford) had draws with Waterford and Cork, who won the division. In both these drawn games Wexford were unlucky. A number of questionable decisions by the referee in the Cork match may well have cost us a league title".
Wexford, he says, have had injury problems and "could even talk themselves out of an All-Ireland worrying about this".
The aspect of the League that Griffin seems to be most concerned with is media coverage.
He is strongly critical of newspaper coverage of the competition. This he feels can affect the public perception of the competition. "The GAA have got it almost right with the format for the League this year. I would give them eight-out-often for their efforts. The media in my opinion are not up to speed in this respect. I would only give them four-out-of-ten for their treatment of the competition." Griffin has a broad interest in most sports outside hurling not least in soccer. He says "I have nothing against Arsenal, good luck to them. But whereas they can command a full page, a National hurling league match may only merit a few paragraphs. A couple of weeks ago one paper actually gave more space to a Spanish soccer club match than they did to Wexford's match with Waterford".
Waterford's breakthrough to the semi-finals is something that Griffin relishes. "I am delighted for them, they play a lovely brand of direct hurling and I would love to see them win it".
Wateford's last League success was in 1963. On that occasion they beat Tipperary in what is still regarded as one of the classic games of the century. It was an era when the blue and whites could call on some of the games icons such as Philly Grimes, Seamus Power, Tom Cheasty and Frankie Walsh.
The current League semi-final pairings have provoked much discussion because of future Munster championship ties. Will players and managers be pre-conditioned? For example, can Cork, Clare and Limerick be relied upon to be flat out, given the close proximity of big championship ties. Will cards be held close to the chest when Cork and Clare shape up to each other, in the knowledge that they could be meeting in a Munster semi-final on June 21st. Conversely, there is the question of how Limerick will approach their clash with Waterford on Sunday week conscious of their championship meeting with Cork on May 31, a fortnight after the League final. My own gut feeling is that championship ties down the road will not be a factor when these counties try conclusions at semi-final or final stages.
