Half a dozen of Waterford's most experienced players will return to training on Monday week, March 8.

John Mullane, Ken McGrath, Dan Shanahan, Tony Browne, Eoin Murphy and Seamus Prendergast have all been granted an extended leave of absence for the first few weeks of the season by manager Davy Fitzgerald. And speaking at the launch of Centra's sponsorship of the All-Ireland hurling championship in Croke Park on Friday, Mullane expressed the hope that the extended rest period will stand Waterford in good stead.

"For any GAA player, it is hard to watch games. You would love to be out there but I suppose you build up a hunger and be champing at the bit to come back after a few weeks out too," he said.

"I had a long campaign with De La Salle last year and I felt I was running on empty towards the end of the season when I should have been kicking on." Tweet

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