All Ireland champions Ballygunner begin their bid for nine county titles in a row on Saturday.
The Gunners are seeking to match the record jointly held by Erins Own and Mount Sion. They are 43 games unbeaten in Waterford. Their last championship defeat was against De La Salle on June 23, 2015.
Darragh O’Sullivan is back as Ballygunner boss. It will be his fourth season at the helm.
"I couldn't walk away from a fabulous bunch of players and I've a phenomenal backroom team with me. From the earliest point, I was going to go again. Thank god I got all the lads to stick with me. They're a very hard bunch to walk away from. There's something very special within that group."
The players got a breather following that unforgettable win over Shamrocks Ballyhale.
"We took six weeks off after the All Ireland final. All the lads didn't come back together. After the county team were beaten, we gave them an extended break because those guys had no break at all after the All Ireland. They needed to freshen up, some of those lads are only back with us a couple of weeks."
The Gunners will face near neighbours Passage on Saturday evening in Walsh Park.
"Passage are going to bring savage intensity to it. They've a real strong spirit down there. We played in the league this year, it was our first game back after the All Ireland final. They were very impressive that day, we drew with them."
Tune into Friday's Lár Na Páirce from 6.10 for a preview of the Waterford SHC.
