With one round of action to go in Allianz Hurling League, Waterford are sitting pretty at the top of Division 1B after three wins and a draw from their opening four games.
With a league semi-final place virtually assured bar an astonishing turnaround, they face the tough challenge of second-placed Kilkenny on Sunday at Nowlan Park, with the Cats one point behind and hoping to seal the other semi-final spot from 1B.
But speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, former Waterford manager Derek McGrath feels Liam Cahill's side are further ahead in their progression as a team than Brian Cody's squad.
"Regardless of the result I think Waterford are ahead of Kilkenny and that's my honest assessment," he said.
"I think they're ahead of Kilkenny. I'm not saying they'll definitely win next Sunday because Kilkenny have to win to guarantee a semi-final spot and they're hard to beat all the time in Nowlan Park.
"But I think Waterford are ahead of them and I think we're in a really good place."
McGrath also said he expects the Déise to be closer to full strength as they fully reintegrate some of their leading lights with an eye towards the All-Ireland round robin series.
"I think you'll possibly see the reintegration of some (players) - those four major players for Waterford, Calum Lyons, Jamie Barron, Austin Gleeson and Dessie Hutchinson, maybe Ian Kenny might get a run in the full-back line, because they have two weeks - this week and the almost guaranteed semi-final - so I think Waterord will be going all out," he said.
"But I think they might squeeze in three or four players. Then I think they'll pin down from semi-final of a league and National League final as to their final squad."
McGrath added that the key members of the current panel are "reaching their prime".
"They're actually in their ninth or 10th season now and if I just add up the losses of finals - people are saying Waterford haven't been competitive - I lost four finals," he said.
"They lost the league final under Páraic Fanning , they lost the Munster final under Liam Cahill, they lost an All-Ireland final.
"So my point being is they've lost the last eight finals they've played in the nine years since 2014. They're on a mission now. There's a hunger.
"The big factor for me is they're going for it, they're all in. You can see it and it's very evident."
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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