Waterford stars couldn’t quite believe the rumours that did the rounds about them

Rumours, rumours and more rumours.

The way the world has gone, any person could decide at any given moment to make something totally untrue up, and no matter who they are, they'll be able to find a platform to spread these rumours. Be it through Twitter, be it through Facebook, Snapchat or any other means - they can spread like wildfire. It's scandalous to think that something completely untrue can take off to such an affect that questions are asked, that people are doubted and their reputations tainted - even though they may not have done anything. Donegal goalkeeper tweeted of his disgust on Tuesday morning at the role played by "Keyboard warriors" in the stepping down of his manager Rory Gallagher from his position the previous night. Vicious rumours, that were obviously untrue from the word go, circulated around the Tipperary senior hurling panel earlier on in the year, and gained serious traction in Whatsapp groups around the country. Waterford senior hurling manager Derek McGrath was speaking on WLR on Monday night on the "Déise today" show when he revealed to Eamon Keane some of the made up tales that were being spouted around the county. McGrath had obviously heard of some of the rumours himself, so before his side's extra-time triumph over Kilkenny in the qualifiers, he met with two of his key men in Austin Gleeson and Tadhg De Búrca. The lads revealed some of the rumours that were doing the rounds, and they really were ridiculous. https://twitter.com/Stephen_Long/status/892382953925378048 "I said (to Gleeson and de Búrca) 'Jesus, I’ve a funny one for ya. My mother just came in from Mass this morning and she met a lady who said to her that Derek doesn’t really care how Waterford are going this year, he’s the Dublin manager next year. Not alone is he the Dublin manager, but he has the director of hurling job lined up in Dublin, €150k, he’s leaving his teaching career, blah, blah, blah." McGrath is famed for his bond with these Waterford players, he always comes across as a players manager, a man who will do anything for the good of his men. He respects them and they respect him and it's no wonder the squad have a great harmony together.

"The lads know my position. There are certain things you don’t leave out in terms of the relationship you have with players, so they were actually just laughing at the rumour, but Austin said to me then: 'I’ll tell you a better one. The Tuesday after the Cork game, myself and yourself were supposedly in fisticuffs in Walsh Park, killing each other and, on the Thursday night, Philip and Pauric Mahony had a massive row and Philip hit me with the hurley then afterwards.'"

It just goes to show you, don't believe everything you hear.