Bennett confident Fitzgerald will bring the best out of Waterford

The Davy Fitzgerald bounce is a real and quantifiable thing, an immediate spike in form that each of his new teams always enjoy.

From inheriting a Waterford squad in turmoil in mid-2018 and leading them to the All-Ireland final that September, to achieving National League promotion within months of taking over both Clare – with whom he won the All-Ireland the following year – and later Wexford, to coaching Cork to last season’s All-Ireland camogie final, instant improvement is virtually a given.

And if there’s any county that needs a jolt of adrenaline and an uptick in fortunes right now, it’s Waterford, his latest hurling project.

On paper, the Munster championship was a write off again, just like it was for the Déise in 2018 and 2019 when it was previously played in a round-robin format. Remarkably, from the 12 games they’ve played ééin that format, they have won just one and are yet to advance from a group.

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Then you chat to Pat Bennett, father of Kieran, Shane and Stephen, who all played in last April’s National League final win, and a former Waterford and Wexford coach under Fitzgerald, and you realise that perhaps things aren’t so bad after all.

“Everybody keeps saying Waterford had a bad season, I don’t see it,” said Bennett at the launch of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League.

“They had a bad day, against Clare. They beat Tipperary playing poorly, were okay against Limerick and lost to Cork by five or six points playing poorly. If they had beaten Cork, they would have been in the championship afterwards and it probably would have been a different ball game but they lost.

“All of a sudden, once they’d lost to Cork, it was game over. I think they had it in the back of their heads going to play Clare in the last round, ‘We are done here’. You have to realise, they were at it three years nonstop. It is hard going, three years nonstop at the level Liam Cahill was asking of them, physically and every which way.

“I just think they hit a barrier at that stage and once they lost to Cork, it all went flat.”

Bennett is currently part of former Waterford captain Stephen Molumphy’s Kerry backroom team. He has thrown himself into that role with the 2022 Joe McDonagh Cup finalists though his heart remains in Waterford where his sons have had such an impact.

Stephen, an All-Star in 2020, fired 2-11 in that league final win over Cork. Kieran and Shane came off the bench that day though it looks like both will be in Australia when the new season begins.

“Kieran is working away [in Australia] and Shane is heading the second of February,” said their father. “Kieran planned to go for a year or two. From talking to him, he’ll probably be back in a year. Shane could be gone for three months, could be gone for a year. Look, they are young fellas, they have to go and enjoy it.”

Back at base, Stephen will continue to fly the family flag.

“Stephen is in there with Waterford, training well,” reported Pat.

Bennett had a ringside seat when Fitzgerald was previously in charge of Waterford, between 2008 and 2011. He also followed the Sixmilebridge man to Wexford and worked with him there.

“Davy is a totally different manager from 2008, 2009 and 2010 to now, different animal,” said Bennett who managed Ferns St Aidan’s to this season’s Wexford SHC title.

“To me, he is an unbelievable manager. I rate him very highly.”

Bennett is keen to stress the point that Waterford don’t necessarily require an overhaul though.

“I was at all their games,” he said. “Look at the World Cup, Brazil – are they bad? They are obviously not but they got beaten. It happens.”