Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

There’s a Munster final to be won and their fans certainly deserve some success for the way they’ve supported their team over the years, but it’s getting harder to like the Déise, Emmet Moloney writes...

This week, thanks to the Gaelic Players’ Association, we will be spared the pre-match TV interviews that usually mean nothing in the build-up to the Munster and Leinster finals. This “work to rule” is the latest shot in the ongoing war between the GAA and the GPA.
The GAA will ultimately lose the war, with the battles being shared along the way. In the meantime, we will suffer the odd inconvenience – if you could call the lack of Davy Fitz on the television this week an inconvenience!

A quieter week than normal would be no harm to either team contesting the Munster final. Liam Sheedy’s political canvassing in the wake of Tipp’s win over Cork was embarrassing and, of course, Davy Fitz’s “I’m not going to talk about that anymore” mantra, before going on to talk about that, stops being entertainment after about two minutes. Neither manager has covered himself in glory recently; Fitzgerald in particular with his ill-advised cut at the Munster Council.

Why is it that a hurling chat about Waterford in the pub of a Sunday night nearly always ends up being a discussion about antics? That post-match controversy was just the latest in Waterford’s seemingly endless publicity seeking adventures. Why is there so much happening around the Déise? Why can’t they just get on with it, without the hoopla?
The Déise are a team of individuals. Some go about their business in an unobtrusive manner and others act the eejit. Funnily enough, the jersey grabbing, fist pumping, crowd conducting shapers tend to play well most of the time. It’s a strange trend but a common sporting one. Now and again a player comes along whose whole persona screams “look at me”. He positively embraces the hype around himself, encourages it and seems to perform better in the spotlight.

Davy Fitz was a perfect case in point. As a player he got straight into it with referees, umpires, opposing forwards and, of course, the Tipperary supporters. And normally before the ball was even thrown in! That was his game. It is also the game preferred by the likes of John Mullane and Eoin Kelly. It rubs neutrals up the wrong way and costs them the odd 50-50 decision from a referee. But they persist. It will happen on Sunday. The first ball Mullane wins, the first free he wins or the first point he shoots will be followed by some display of emotion, petulance or bravado – which ever name you want to give it. Pick one of those three, depending on where you sit on the Déise issue. Because you can’t sit on the fence.

My views would be on the traditional side. I think we could do without the theatrics. It’s boorish and it adds little. It is cringe-inducing. Character on the field does add to our entertainment and enjoyment, but the character I am talking about is the style a Brian Lohan, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Paul Flynn or a Henry Shefflin play the game with. Joe Brolly did a small bit of the Déise carry-on but he did it with humour and he walked the walk. That’s a consideration as well.

But there are plenty who would disagree with me. Where’s the harm in it, I hear them say? Well, when you see that behaviour repeated by kids on the field then there’s harm. Of course, a strong manager would cut that out. Justin McCarthy seemed to tolerate some of it and ultimately it was the rock he perished on. It will get Davy too before the summer is out because there isn’t enough limelight to share out between them all!

It is Waterford’s fatal flaw and it is what stops them winning All-Irelands. That is the greatest sporting tragedy of it all because they have the talent to win the Liam McCarthy. On their day, they are a match for anyone but that day is restricted to Munster. Inferior teams have made a habit of beating Waterford on the big stage (Kilkenny excepted last September). After winning three exceptional Munster titles over the past seven years they have lost three semi-finals that were easily within their grasp.

They can beat Tipp this Sunday but I strongly suspect they won’t. There could be public washing of dirty linen and a player like John Mullane, who plays a wonderful match in a losing cause, will go on television and radio and complain about his team-mates not standing up to be counted. He’s done that before and it went unchecked. That’s not how you win All-Irelands.

It’s not all bad news. The Déise have added hugely to hurling these last few years and have given us in the media plenty to write about and supporters even more to talk about. They should be the people’s team, like Clare in ’95 and Wexford in ’96, but they’re not. And it would appear they don’t want to be. They want to do it their way. It makes Davy Fitz a perfect fit as manager. He is cut from a similar cloth.

In falling over the line against Clare, Tipperary didn’t cover themselves in any glory. In the first half of that match they started showboating with the ball. They almost paid for it late on against a limited side that they should have beat well. They can’t do that on Sunday and if Liam Sheedy is as ruthless as a manager needs to be, the first sign of messing on Sunday should result in a call to shore. That’s what Cody would do.
And he is the template. Like it or not, Kilkenny play the game in a manner that Cody demands. On and off the field. Successful teams often reflect the personality of their manager – he is the man that should decide how they play, how they should behave.

I like Waterford hurling. They perform with heart, style and no little skill. Players like Stephen Molumphy, Brick Walsh and Seamus Prendergast are my idea of real men on the hurling field. These guys are nearly owed an All-Ireland medal. I like Déise people, too, and would almost wish to see them win an All-Ireland at this stage ahead of my native Clare (almost). It is hard on Waterford supporters reading this because your first instinct is to defend your own county and your own players. Don’t think I won’t get hammered for what I am writing here – but it needs to be said.

Hurling needs this Déise team at the top table. But some of them need manners before they can finally sit down and eat.

To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...