DAVY FITZGERALD WILL be without a couple more Waterford hurlers for next year but hopes are high that he will have all three Bennett brothers available in 2024.

Following Austin Gleeson’s decision to step away from the Déise panel, the 2016 Hurler of the Year has been joined in taking some time out by experienced defenders Shane McNulty and Conor Gleeson.

It’s also unclear whether Iarlaith Daly, a Young Hurler of the Year nominee in 2020, will be available. 

He has yet to commit due to his college workload and will make up his mind after Christmas but Calum Lyons, who is away in Australia, is expected back in the new year.

Kieran Bennett recently arrived home after his year travelling and it’s hoped that the third Ballysaggart brother, Shane, will also return from Australia next month to join Kieran and Stephen in the squad.

“Kieran Bennett came back last week. Shane will hopefully be back in mid-January,” said Waterford selector Peter Queally at the launch of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League.  

“Kieran, in fairness to him, he’s been away now for a year and a half but he trained with us last Friday and we played an in-house game on Sunday and he was in good shape for a fella who’d been away so long. We’re delighted to have him back.

“Iarlaith Daly is a bit unsure at the moment with study commitments. He’ll make his mind up in the new year.”

Austin Gleeson’s withdrawal was confirmed in September and Queally doesn’t expect a mid-season comeback from the Mount Sion star.

He’s made his mind up and we don’t want to be badgering him and having it open for discussion on a regular basis. We just have to drive on and that’s it.

“I have no doubt Austin, over the summer, will have a long hard think about committing to next year, whoever is involved next year, so hopefully we’ll see Austin back in 2025.”

Waterford have “seven or eight” new faces looking to bed down a place in the squad while the Ballygunner players will return in due course after their All-Ireland semi-final disappointment against St Thomas’.

The Gunners are now 10-in-a-row county champions and Queally feels such dominance shows the local club championship is in poor health.

“They’ve set a standard that’s hard for the teams in Waterford to catch up to.

“My own opinion is some are really trying hard to get there and they’re raising their standards whereas a few others, after a lot of heavy defeats, are finding it hard to motivate themselves.

“You have a mixed bag and what you’re getting is probably a low-quality senior hurling championship.

“Let’s call a spade a spade, the best games in the championship this year were games that Ballygunner weren’t involved in. They were tough, they were strong, there was good hurling. They were competitive right up to the final whistle.

“Whereas the ones that Ballygunner were involved in were one-sided. They were over after 15/20 minutes. They weren’t a great spectacle and attendances are dropping off so there is a gulf that’s affecting the overall standard of the championship.”