It can be tough being Waterford sometimes.
Their neighbours to the north and east, Kilkenny and Wexford, have had a bit more wiggle room when it comes reaching the All-Ireland Hurling Championship in recent years.
Since the round robin provincial format came in for the 2018 season, The Cats have lifted the Bob O'Keeffe Cup six times, while the Yellowbellies managed it once, alongside Galway.
Kilkenny have made it out of Leinster every year, while Wexford have only failed to emerge twice, in 2023 and 2025. The Slaneysiders welcome Dublin to Wexford Park on Saturday where the winner, if there is to be one, will very likely make an All-Ireland quarter-final, at the very least.
The Déise, on the other hand, have finished in the bottom two in Munster in each of the six seasons that the format has been used. There has been no Liam MacCarthy race to look forward to, with the best players, from one of the game's most talented counties, finished up before the tar has even started to melt.
In the two Covid seasons, Waterford made the All-Ireland final and then the semis in 2021. It's not unfair to say, therefore, that the format just doesn't suit them.
Cork will bring their 100% record to Walsh Park on Saturday evening where a defeat would all end Waterford's interest in finishing in top three in the table ahead of a trip to Limerick on Sunday week.
Is that fair on Waterford?
"I do think it's fair," said PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April in hurling Stephen Bennett after collecting his award (above).
"It's unfortunate that the teams that have won the All-Ireland final the last number of years are all in Munster.
"But that changes as well. It used to be Kilkenny, then it was Limerick, then Clare and then Cork were coming up. We were there with Limerick for a couple of years.
"People kind of forget we were in All-Ireland finals, semi-finals. Now, I know there's a lot of new players (for us), but Munster is tough, it's brilliant (and) I love the matches.
"You probably can get away with it to an extent (in Leinster), you can lose a game or two. Lose a game in Munster, you're probably in trouble straight away, or you're relying on other teams.
"But, look, we've got two games left and we need to win the two.
"You need to beat Cork, you need to beat Limerick if you want to win the All-Ireland."
In terms of maintaining their belief ahead of a season defining game against the Rebels, Bennett points to Waterford's meetings with Tipperary in this decade.
Their recent draw, secured with an injury time Kevin Mahony goal, means they've only lost once to the Premier County in their last six meetings in Munster, including three wins.
"The one time we lost to them, they went on to win the All-Ireland (2025)," he points out.
"That's the main thing, they made the most it of when they got out last year. They had one point after two games as well.
"Cork, two years ago, they had two losses in the first two games and they got through winning their last two games.
"So it's just about getting through Munster and then it can open up."
Bennett has had his own injury struggles over the years, with regular surgeries on his hips through his 13-year senior inter-county career.
His recovery time after matches is long while his training is often limited, particularly when the gap between games is so short. That's been the case this year, with eight days between the clashes with Clare and Tipperary, and then Cork and Limerick ahead.
It might lead someone who was mentally weak to wonder if it's all worth it, but for Bennett, he is where he wants to be.
"When you give so much time to something you obviously want things to look back on," he says.
"You want to win everything, that's all it is really. It's just to keep trying to win as long as you can.
"Even the matches, every week you have a new challenge and then you have to forget about it. We've Cork now on Saturday and then straight away, you've got Limerick seven days later.
"It's just every week they're exciting. There's new build-up and you've new players to mark and you try get to win again.
"Everything," he says when asked what landing a Munster crown would mean to him.
"It's the 13th year and the goal is always the same. You'd be on about All-Irelands and stuff, but you look at the Dan Shanahans and John Mullanes and them, like they don't have an All-Ireland, but they've four Munster medals.
"Munster would be unreal, so that is the goal. You try and get into the top three and then if you get to a final, obviously you're trying to win it.
"You've saw the celebrations in Cork last year when they won it, it was just mental which is great.
"Munster is... I won't say as important as an All-Ireland, but Munster is unbelievable.
"I'd take either of them now."
Watch Wexford v Dublin in the Leinster Hurling Championship on Saturday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
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