Mullane thinks Ballygunner's dominance isn't good for Waterford

John Mullane believes Ballygunner’s dominance of the Waterford club hurling scene isn’t benefiting the county team.

Last weekend, the all-conquering Gunners completed a remarkable 12-in-a-row of county SHC titles to go alongside their recent IHC and JHC ‘A’ wins. While acknowledging Ballygunner’s brilliance, the De La Salle clubman feels the lack of competition they face within their own county isn’t serving them well when it comes to the rigours of inter-county hurling.

“They've an embarrassment of riches coming through. You might catch them one year but then again, they might push on and win another five or six in-a-row,” Mullane said on the Indo Sport podcast.

“I don't want to be coming across with sour grapes because you have to acknowledge that they're probably the best run juvenile club in the country. Not alone in the county, in the country, in how they go about their business. You have to applaud them for that.

“But I think it's coming at a cost. I think Waterford hurling are not going to be the beneficiary of it. It's already after having a knock-on effect.

“They're not getting challenged in Waterford. It's at their ease, they're beating teams by cricket scores, it's all too easy. That's why there's probably a tendency - and they won't like me saying this - but some Ballygunner supporters will probably agree that there would be a tendency for a few Ballygunner players that push on and play inter-county for them to struggle.

“They're getting it so easy at club level. In terms of the lad who plays week-in-week-out at club level and has to roll up the sleeves, grind the teeth and fight on his back for his club. When you go to inter-county level, there still is a big gap between club level and inter-county.

“If you go to inter-county and you've a Tipperary lad, Cork lad, Kilkenny lad dragging out of you, you can kind of look around and go, 'What's this all about? I'm not used to this.'

“I don't think it's necessarily serving the Ballygunner player well either.”