Waterford schedule sticks in Shanahan's craw
Davy Fitzgerald once categorised Clare as the "smaller fish", owing to the lack of breaks falling their way.
Waterford selector Dan Shanahan, who played under Fitzgerald with the Déise, now feels that his county have taken on that mantle.
Shanahan firstly pointed to the schedule. In seven years of the Munster round-robin, Waterford have never had a home game at Walsh Park for their final fixture.
Their 2018 loss to Cork was played at a neutral venue and they've been away from home in each of the past six seasons to conclude their campaign.
"The bigger fish always get the break. We don't get any breaks," said Shanahan. "We haven't had any luck with them decisions. As long as this competition has been going on, we've never had a home game last.
"We've always been away in our last game, which is hard to believe, if you go through the years that we've been playing.
"But you have to win your home games. We drew one and lost one."
Shanahan also referenced the one-week turnarounds before playing Tipperary and Limerick.
"Tipp had the three-week break. We're just getting no luck in terms of two or three weeks of a break.
"What is the rush? Is it a condensed season or a club season? Give a team two weeks of a break, play a match, week off, play a match, week off, play a match, week off. Because these players are amateurs.
"That impacts on player availability. Waterford lined up against Limerick without their first-string full-back line of Aaron O’Neill, Conor Prunty, and Ian Kenny.
"You can't rush Patrick Fitzgerald or Conor Prunty. If we had another week or two, we'd have him back. That's just the difference," said Shanahan.
"They probably could play in two weeks' time, but you couldn’t chance them because they have had some serious injuries, like quad muscles and hamstring tears.
"I could go through five or six lads. Stephen Bennett, do I need to say any more? But that's why you have panels. Other lads have to step up and, to their credit, they have stepped up."
"As the weeks go on, we'll be sitting at home watching the games in the summer when hurling should be played."
Last week, Waterford took issue with Cork’s pair of black-card penalties. At the weekend, Shanahan identified the two late goals Limerick scored to flip a one-point Déise lead into a five-point deficit.
"I thought Michael Kiely was fouled for the first goal. Aidan O’Connor definitely dropped his hurley for the second goal. That's the two goals," he said.
"Last week with a decision as well, and the week before with another couple of decisions.
"That's no excuse. That's not pointing the finger, but we don't seem to get the rub of the green.
"Some days you make your own luck as well. It's not pointing at the officials either, because it's a tough job to do, but we just don't seem to be getting luck at the moment. You need luck coming to Gaelic Grounds to win something."
Facing into a long winter, Shanahan hopes the group, which has integrated new blood in Seán Mackey, Conor Keane, and O’Neill around their experienced core, sticks together.
"I'm sick of saying it's a moral victory, that we're still not qualified," he said. "Let's call it a spade a spade, another summer without hurling. That is cruel because it wasn't the best day for hurling in these conditions.
"As the weeks go on, we'll be sitting at home watching the games in the summer when hurling should be played.
"It hurts for the boys because they train so hard and yet they're gone in May.
"They're amateur players and they put their lives on the line for hurling. One or two decisions don't go your way and you're gone out of the championship.
"We've been consistent this year, playing-wise. We went to the end. We've got backsides back on seats in Walsh Park.
"There is a good minor team coming, that'll take a few years, but we've a few lads there who have a whole lot more in them. Will they be gone when the other lads come through?"
Watch a provincial hurling double-header, Dublin v Kilkenny (2pm) and Cork v Clare (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
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