Brian Hogan has confirmed that the Kilkenny players will be firmly focusing on Sunday's All-Ireland final, rather than the much-hyped three-in-a-row title bid that's in their grasp. The Cats defender has cited Waterford's attack as a real danger to his side's chances of claiming another All-Ireland crown at Croke Park on Sunday, and believes the backs will need to be on their toes to deny the Deise a win like that they pierced against Tipperary in last month's semi-final. "They (Waterford) come at teams in waves and when they do that they are very hard to stop. They have some brilliant forwards who do awful damage when they get the chance," admitted Hogan "They're one of the most experienced squads in the country so they know how to finish off a game. We saw it last year in the National Hurling League final when they beat us by a few points." Since September of last year, when Kilkenny saw off Limerick to successfully defend their All-Ireland crown, the three-in-a-row claims have been constantly raised and are at their height as this year's decider approaches, but Hogan feels they must take the Waterford game for what it is at the weekend. "You have to take every final for what it is," said Hogan "If we win on Sunday, maybe we might look back on it differently in years to come but for now it's like every other big game. But for now we'll stick to the routine that we're use to." Tweet

Most Read Stories