Liam Cahill is yet to confirm if he will continue as the Waterford senior hurling boss into 2022.
Yesterday his side fell at the semi-final stage with Limerick proceeding to another All-Ireland final. 11 points was the difference after 70 minutes, with Limerick proving yet again what they can do when they get into a flow.
Time Well Spent
By any standard of measurement, Cahill's time in Waterford has been an undoubted success. His team have beaten Clare, Cork, Kilkenny, Laois, Galway and Tipp across the Championship and Qualifiers.
Last year, he guided the team to the showpiece final in Croke Park for the first time since 2017, and brought them to the Munster final also, falling short by four points against the eventual All-Ireland winners from Shannonside.
Reaching the All-Ireland semi's this year is an achievement in itself considering the route they had to take following a Munster quarter-final loss to Clare.
Time Up?
Having now served his agreed two-year term, Cahill has left the door open as to what happens next. The main question on the lips of most supporters is what it will take to keep the Tipp man onboard for another campaign.
Can't fault Waterford today. Limerick can become the Kilkenny of the early years of this Millennium in the 2020's. Lets hope we see Liam Cahill involved with Waterford again in 2022.
— Thomas Keane (@ThomasKeane1973) August 7, 2021
Unlucky Waterford. Unreal effort the past four weeks. 100% an all Ireland in this team. Few players to come back in also. I think it's so important Liam Cahill stays with this group to build on this year's work.
As for Limerick they are a serious side, an absolute joy to watch— Wayne Hutchinson (@WayneHutchinso1) August 7, 2021
What's Next?
With the dust settling on the press conference that followed the final whistle, the Tipperary man did not commit to which way he was leaning on his future.
"I'm after having a brilliant two years here with these fellas, you know, they've given me everything. I've got around as much as was allowed around the club scene in Waterford as well. Lots of good your hurlers; a nice under 20 team this year again, and a lovely minor team there contesting a Munster final on Monday night."
"So look, it's two years' work. That was the initial agreement. So I think we'll just have to sit down and talk to everybody; stakeholders, committee chairman, you know, Sean Michael [O' Regan, Chairman] and Pat [Flynn, Secreatary] and all the boys that initially negotiated or chatted about what needed to happen so it's hard to know yet."
Hoping For More?
Reading between the lines, there may well be hope for people in Waterford as his comments yesterday hint that he'd struggle to move on with his past two years of experience in the locker.
"But look, you know, these fellas are very hard to walk away from because they're a really honest bunch of fellas."
"I'm really proud of the way my players absolutely give it everything again today, they're just a credit to themselves, their clubs, their families and Waterford hurling. I know it doesn't mean a lot in defeat and they don't want that sort of patronizing comments from me, but they genuinely are a great bunch of players to work for."
"I'm really proud of what they've done over the last month for hurling and for hurling in Waterford and for GAA in Waterford and actually hurling across the country in fairness. They've given every county a lift as to how you survive and fight and battle your way into the latter stages of the championship so I'm really proud to be involved with them"
Whether he stays or goes will remain to be seen in the coming weeks.
