Six-day turnaround to Limerick game is not fair
As The Déise turn their attentions to the visit of the seven-in-a-row chasing Munster champions to Walsh Park following Sunday's win over Clare, it's the 2007 hurler of the year's belief that there should be a gap weekend between each provincial hurling fixture.
'Six-day turnaround – Jesus, boys, that takes some going. For an amateur sport, that's fair intense,' Shanahan opened. 'The players should actually do every second week. If you want me to be honest with you, we need to recover. Playing week in and week out is not fair. It's not fair.
'Six days recovery. I don't mind. It doesn't bother us. We can only work hard at it. But it would give everyone a better chance of seeing proper hurling. But look, what an occasion next Saturday evening with Limerick coming to Walsh Park.'
The challenge Waterford face this week is more between the ears, according to Shanahan. 'We were in the same boat last year. We came back four points up with two minutes to go. We only drew with Tipp and we didn't go through. So, it's a mental thing as well. You know as well as I do, the mental side of the game is very important, more than the physical side.
'We're playing in Limerick here next Saturday. Who wouldn't want to be on the field there and play next weekend? I was sitting there and I'd love to be 20 years younger. Going out there with the crowd, I never witnessed that atmosphere as a player. With good teams we had. To go down the tunnel there and come up the tunnel there after winning, it's a massive feeling for the players.'
Shanahan doesn't deny feeling envious of Waterford's current crop playing championship hurling in Walsh Park after its reconstruction in 2023. 'We were homeless, that's the word. Our home games were away at different venues. This is our Coliseum. They are doing both ends up, when it'll be finished, it'll be unbelievable.
'It's about time. We were 20 years waiting for this as players. Ourselves – [John] Mullane, [Ken] McGrath – we would have loved to play it here last year. We didn't have that opportunity. The lads have now and they're grasping it.
'I'm so delighted for the lads. I'm so delighted for the fans. They're massive. They were the 16th man there today with 10 minutes to go. Waterford people are great to follow.'
Shanahan wasn't worried about the lack of Munster opposition these past 11 months or the gulf between Division 1A and 1B. 'If I'm being honest with you, 1B is competitive. Mentally, physically. When you're going away to the Westmeaths, the Laoises, you have to be prepared right for them. Because if you don't, they'll catch you on the day.
'For 55 minutes, against Offaly in the league final, we were extremely good. For 10 minutes of that, we were poor. That's what we had to work on for going in against the bigger teams in the championship. I think we did.'
Shanahan was quick to put the win over Clare in perspective, mentioning their absentees such as Tony Kelly and Conor Cleary. "That game is gone," he insisted. "We won't celebrate this because we could meet Clare in a Munster final. It's so hard to beat a team twice in one year at this level and this intensity.'
Focusing on Limerick, he isn't buying claims they aren't what they used to be. 'People are telling me they've come back to the pack. I don't believe that for one minute, to be honest with you. They went away last week and got a great draw in Tipperary, which is a tough place to go for any team.'
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