Ollie Moran says that Limerick should take the lead of Kilkenny hurlers and Dublin footballers as they look to end the county’s barren League run.
Moran, a League winner with Limerick when they last claimed the title in 1997, points to how Dublin and Kilkenny winning Leagues in the spring hasn’t hindered their hunt for All-Irelands in the autumn.
He said: “There’s a very, very competitive element within the group and make no bones about it, they’re not going up to Croke Park now and bringing 15,000/20,000 Limerick people up with them to prepare for the Championship.
“I certainly don’t think that’ll come up for conversation, that ‘we got what we wanted out of the League’, like. You’re not in a League final to make up the numbers.
“They’re going to go up there all guns blazing to win it and to notch up another title and the fact that we haven’t won one in so long, it’s high time that we did win a League.
“Look, you only need to see what the Dublin footballers, the Kilkenny hurlers have done in the last number of years and even Galway in 2017, like there’s huge merit in winning the League because that is a very good barometer of how you’re going to fare come Championship, even for guys that are trying to get their places.
“They’re all going to want to show up and deliver a performance on a personal level.”
Jamie Barron insists Waterford must reverse their losing streak in finals ahead of Limerick showdown
PREDICTION
Kilkenny made a habit of it but they’ve been so successful that it’s unfair to judge others by their standards.
Other than the four times they’ve managed it under Brian Cody, the last time a team followed up an All-Ireland with a League title the following spring was Galway way back in 1989.
Waterford have rediscovered the winning habit that deserted them so dramatically last year but in the meantime they’ve been overtaken by John Kiely’s side, who appear to be getting stronger.
It’s 10 wins out of 11 for Limerick and, for all Waterford’s quality, there’s no compelling reason to back against the All-Ireland champions at this point.
VERDICT: Limerick
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