Joe Canning: Not every team can move it like Limerick

Limerick, with four All-Ireland titles in the last five years to go along with a few league success, are the standard-bearers in hurling at the moment.

The way they move the ball through the lines and then deliver a telling score is what sets them apart from the rest.

That was a point Joe Canning honed in on after watching Kilkenny and Waterford do battle at UPMC Nowlan Park, a contest where the Cats eventually prevailed by two points to book a spot in the Division 1 semi-final.

Speaking on Allianz League Sunday, the former Galway star said: "Everybody has their own way of what way they want to play. I'd think it would be very foolish of any team to try and be like Limerick if they don't have the players to be like Limerick.

"I think what sets them apart, and I've spoken about this before, is that their touch work is excellent.

"Limerick do not make mistakes like we saw today between Kilkenny and Waterford. There were handling errors. I know the weather wasn't great and it didn't allow for a free-flowing game, but every team is trying their own things and what suits them.

"That's the right way to go about it; the smart way to go about it.

"So people say you wanna play like Limerick, going through the lines and then releasing to the full-forward line, but we didn't really see that [at Nowlan Park]. Waterford wanted to carry a lot of their play and the odd time then go long, and so did Kilkenny at times.

"It wasn't really working for them. There was no great supply of ball going into either corner."