Waterford senior hurling team manager Peter Queally. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
"Massive fulfilment, a massive pride," Peter Queally instantly responds when asked about being manager of the Waterford senior hurling team.
"It's no secret that I tried to get this role before, to actually eventually be in the role, it's very satisfying. It's very challenging. There's a lot of pressure involved, but I'm well aware of that. We would have had a fair baptism in the first league game this year against Carlow where things didn't go our way.
"So, obviously for the next few games there's a lot of pressure around, but in fairness to the lads they turned it around. I'm starting to enjoy the role a bit more now. I'm really looking forward to giving everything I have to this Munster championship campaign."
Before then, though, Waterford are involved in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Division 1B Final against Offaly at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. How important was securing promotion? "It was paramount that we got to the final," Queally says.
"We knew that we had a bye in the first round (Munster), so when you're trying to plot your lead up to the Clare game, you think to yourself if you don't qualify for a league final, you have a five week run in, which is quite long without a competitive game, without a hope of getting any challenges because everyone else is involved.
"So, as regards preparation for a Munster Championship, I think it was very important that we finished in the top two and got to the league final."
The manner in which Waterford responded following the Carlow setback is encouraging according to Queally. "Yeah, it was a bit of a slow burn at the start of the league against Laois, I thought we ground out for a result, but we weren't that impressive," he says.
"As the league campaign went on, we started to get a few more bodies back and our performance levels actually did come up, I suppose.
Peter Queally's Waterford face Offaly in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B Final. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"As regards the resilience side of it, the big turning point for us was probably 10 minutes to go against Dublin, we were five points down, showed a lot of character and resilience in that match and ground out for a result, which was very important as regards our standing in the top two.
"I think, if we didn't win that game, the same with Dublin, we were more or less mathematically out of the promotion race. So, that was a massive turning point for us in that match."
In tricky moments, though, how hard is it to remain cool under duress? "I won't lie to you, it was a difficult period," Queally says about the start of the year. But you do have to stick to your principles.
"You do have to keep going. Every game after that takes on huge significance and importance. In fairness to the lads there was a great buy-in.
"It wasn't a case of pointing fingers or anything in the immediate aftermath. We were such a united bunch. It did make it that bit easier to keep going and turn the thing around and start getting good results."
Generating momentum is valuable. "It is, it's all about momentum," Queally says.
"Even for us here, the confidence side of it, winning games, we didn't have a very good league campaign last year or the previous year.
"So, getting them wins and getting a run of wins is important for confidence as well as momentum."
