New manager Peter Queally has 'Waterford in his heart' - Dessie Hutchinson

Dessie Hutchinson is confident that the Waterford hurlers will be contenders again next year, despite the departure of Davy Fitzgerald of manager.

The Déise were competitive under the Clare man in 2024, narrowly failing to progress from the Munster round-robin.

It was a surprise therefore, that Fitzgerald decided to walk away in July, especially as his next destination was Antrim, who are improving but have yet to make it out of the Leinster group.

There is continuity in his replacement, however, with former county midfielder and selector for the last two years Peter Queally donning the bainisteoir bib and calling in his old team-mate Dan Shanahan as a selector.

"I suppose he had the two-year term and he was after doing that, so maybe he thought he had brought us as far as he could, and left it for someone else to come in and do it," Hutchinson reflected on Davy's exit.

"You're kind of surprised in one way but in another not too surprised either. I’m not sure what went on.

"All we know now is that we have a manager after coming in that is really going to believe in us and he has Waterford in his heart.

"Peter has played and coached with Waterford, and been successful around the club scene for a long time too. He knows the players already, having been in with the panel for two years.

"So it’s not as if it’s a whole new set-up where a new manager is in trying to get to know new players. That’s definitely going to help that we’re not starting from rock bottom and trying to build it up.

"That gives players a good confidence boost, to know that he will do anything for us to achieve what we want to achieve."

"We have a panel of players that can go on to achieve something. It just hasn't been good enough over the last couple of years"

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