Having won the Allianz National Hurling League in style last night, Waterford's focus now shifts fully to the 2022 Championship.
They claimed the League title for just the fourth time in the county's history when they defeated Cork on a scoreline of 4-20 to 1-23 in Semple Stadium.
It's the first national silverware for Liam Cahill in three attempts as Waterford manager.
Stand-out performances
Ballysaggart's Stephen Bennett had a performance for the ages, scoring 2-11, while Patrick Curran and Dessie Hutchinson also raised green flags.
The Déise could have added another goal in the 44th minute, but Curran's strike to the Cork net was called back for a previous advantage.
Lismore's Carthach Daly also put in a stand-out performance last night with well-timed runs causing all sorts of problems for the Cork defence.
Speaking to WLR Sport after the game, Liam Cahill said he was impressed by him:
"He's a great young man, like, he's only 20. He showed all his form like that with his club when I saw him early in the Championship last year, so I'm thrilled that he's actually stepping up.
"You never know when you bring in these guys, whether they're able to step up or not. Especially when they're so young, like Carthach.
"But it was a great baptism for him again tonight and he's definitely a guy that has a big future once he stays lucky and stays sound."
'Championship will tell all'
Early in the league campaign, Cahill had spoken of the need for Waterford to develop a ruthless side when it came to pushing for goals.
Between their five goals against Wexford last weekend and their five last night (including the one disallowed), it certainly seems to have come to the fore.
However, the manager said the Championship will really tell all:
"The real test will be starting Easter Sunday. Let's call a spade a spade; that's the real judge.
"Championship hurling is where you really find out whether the jigsaw is coming together or not.
"So, we have to really try and get ourselves in the best shape possible for that and get fellows back on the pitch and get injuries sorted out.
"There'll be a lot of learning from tonight as well. There were a lot of ball-handling errors, a lot of mistakes, a lot of ball that didn't go to hand that could have created more little openings but that's all stuff that Mikey and Tony and Stephen and I will work on with the boys."
Tipperary provide the first opposition of the All-Ireland campaign when the two sides meet on Sunday, April 17th.
When asked if he considered the League to be somewhat of a distraction from the championship, which is what every county ultimately wants to win, Cahill said that's not the case:
"There's a myth out there, or a narrative, that the league is losing its value and that it's not important.
"I think the league wasn't important for anybody that wasn't in the final tonight really. That's the reality of it.
"You know, it is week after week but that's what these boys train for. It's fairly condensed but these guys are good, big, fit men and they'll recover well.
"We look forward now to what's coming in a couple of weeks' time."
