
5.
6. Ronan Maher Rating: 7/10 Reverting to centre back for this game, Maher really looks the part at the centre of the defence. He was hugely prominent in the first half and his aerial dominance is top class. It looks like management will settle on the big Sars man at 6 for the year.

6.
7. Robert Byrne Rating: 6/10 Like the vast majority in blue and gold on Sunday, Robert Byrne mixed the good with the bad. He looked sharp in the opening half and is good in possession, but his tackling left a lot to be desired as he gave away a lot of frees over the course of the second half in particular. He is showing effort but may not be a starter come April.

7.
8. Paddy Cadell Rating: 5/10 Withdrawn at half time, the less said about Cadell's contribution the better. He really struggled to keep up with the energy of the Waterford midfield and could do nothing right. Has undoubted potential but has yet to shine at senior level. Hopefully there are better days ahead for the Templemore man.

8.
9. Barry Heffernan Rating: 7/10 It is unusual to see the Nenagh man outside of the back division, but he had a decent outing in the number 9 jersey on Sunday. His size and hurling ability was really useful on the day, as he got stuck in from the off and had countless possessions. A real utility player and could be a real problem solver at midfield going forward.

