Abbeyside manager Benji Whelan has suffered a health scare. Photo: Sportsfile
Waterford captain Conor Prunty lifts the national hurling league in 2022
It is highly unlikely that they would have made it to the Waterford SHC final without Benji Whelan but the Abbeyside manager won’t be patrolling the sideline after suffering a health scare in recent weeks.
Whelan was also absent for their Waterford SHC quarter-final and semi-final victories with junior boss James O’Mahony deputising as bainisteor and there is a keen sense of doing the former Waterford football supremo proud as he recovers.
“Benji has been excellent this year and has really instilled a belief in us and got fellas together and on the one track,” Abbeyside star Conor Prunty says. “Not that we feel we owe it to him, but I suppose we do a bit. Just to represent ourselves well each weekend and try to get a performance, which is his thing.”
Whelan is a rare breed in that he took on the role of senior manager with the Abbeyside hurlers, as well as their footballing equivalent Ballinacourty, for 2024 and he has clearly made a “massive difference”.
Hurling selector Mark Ferncombe is delighted just to have him back around the set-up again, albeit in a limited capacity as he convalesces.
“He’s been around the last week or so with us, kind of in the background. He was actually with us for the Mount Sion game [semi-final] but he just didn’t have the energy to go to the game. It’s like a player and if he’s not right, he’s not right.
“His energy levels are very low at the minute so it’s going to take a while. He’s feeling better but in terms of contributing to the line, he won’t be there for the foreseeable.”
Ferncombe insists that Whelan has left no stone unturned in their pursuit of silverware.
“He actually went out of his way to meet every single player individually at the start of the year. He met every player and spoke to them about where they felt the club was going, how we could improve.
“He’s a good players’ manager. He brings a freshness and enthusiasm, and the boys have really enjoyed it.”