Waterford boss Liam Cahill has committed himself to a further year with the county.
The announcement was made this afternoon by Waterford County Board, ensuring that the Ballingarry native will be at the helm of the senior hurlers until the end of 2022 at least.
Speaking to Waterford GAA, Cahill said he wanted to end the speculation that he might return to his home county and leave the ongoing work at the Deise behind, "Since accepting the Waterford invitation to manage their senior hurling team two years ago the support we have received has been remarkable. The Waterford County Board has been unstinting in its backing for everything we did. The reaction of the players, even when difficult decisions had to be made, was exemplary. Their dedication and loyalty left a deep impression on both of us for whom loyalty is paramount."
"In the circumstances we feel that to step aside now from the Waterford journey would be the wrong decision and for that reason we will be staying with the Waterford Senior hurling team for the coming year."
"For now, my commitment is to the Waterford senior hurling team where Mikey Bevans and I feel we have a sense of unfinished business. We made significant progress in the past two years but we feel that there is still more to come from this incredible bunch of players."
In the past few days, Tipperary had offered their senior management role to Cahill following the departure of Liam Sheedy form the county. There's no doubt that for a died-in-the-wool Tipp man, it would have been a very tough decision to stay on his current course with Waterford and turn down his home county. Cahill addresses this struggle in his statement today, "To be ever associated with the position of Tipperary senior hurling manager is a huge honour and I am extremely grateful to the County Board for their recent approaches in this regard. We discussed various matters and I can honestly say that making this decision has been the most difficult one I have had to make in recent years."
"Tipperary hurling has always been a huge part of my life and will always remain a core part of my being. I have spent several years working with underage players in Tipperary and we had some incredible moments together, which have left us memories that will last a lifetime. The quality of those players is exceptional, and I have no doubt many of them will eventually leave a mark at senior level."
With only one team of quality to be beaten by Cahill and his backroom team, the manager has reaffirmed his position that there is still work to do, "All major decisions involve a balancing and weighing of many factors before coming to a final conclusion. The position of the Tipperary Senior Hurling manager is extremely attractive and one I did not take lightly. Mikey Bevans and I felt duty bound to give careful consideration to Waterford after their response to us in the past two years."
In Cahill's first year in charge of the Deise, he guided the team to a Munster Final and an All-Ireland Final; their first Munster decider since 2016 and a first All-Ireland since 2017.
The team who had not won a Championship game in over three years faced Cork in Thurles, dispatching the Rebels 1-28 to 1-24 bringing a close to the 1,175 day wait for a win in the provincial championship.
The team were back in Thurles two weeks later to face the defending champions Limerick, losing the game by four points. With green shoots aplenty, the deficit to the Treaty had been reduced from 20 points the previous year when Limerick ran out as 2-24 to 0-10 winners in Walsh Park; a game that would be the Deise's last loss in Walsh Park. They have remained unbeaten at their home venue until the present day.
The Tipperary native had spoken at length about the need for Waterford to attack more and put behind the defensive mindset they had become known for.
He would bring the team to Croke Park following wins over Clare and Kilkenny in the All-Ireland series, with the second half come back against Kilkenny proving to be one of the greatest in living memory.
The year came to an end for Waterford in Croke Park on December 13th, with Limerick claiming Liam McCarthy 0-30 to 0-19.
This year's Championship began with an unfortunate loss to Clare. The Banner were pushed to the pin of their collar by a Waterford side who needed five minutes more to claim their spot in a Munster semi-final. The full-time score of 1-22 to 0-21 failing to flatter the effort that was shown by Cahill's team in the dying minutes.
With a longer route to Croke Park now needed, Cahill's team entered the All-Ireland qualifiers, beating Laois and Galway on their way to an All-Ireland quarter final meeting with Tipperary.
Facing his home county in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cahill's charges claimed their place in the semi-final beating Tipp with a dominant display of attacking hurling; 4-28 to 2-27.
Once again, Limerick were lying in wait for the Deise in Croke Park in the last four, bringing an end to Waterfords year in the senior championship.
The man from Ballingarry will once again man the sideline for the 2022 Championship, with Mickey Bevans at his side. With several key players set to make a return (Mahony, De Burca et al) and the possibility of Stephen O' Keefe once again in the goal mouth it looks to be a hugely positive year for the Waterford hurlers.
