I think the gap is too big now to expect players to come from minor or 20s to senior for at least a few years. Really needs to go back to under 18s and 21s. That year is massive
There is an eye test too - in fairness I donāt think anyone in Tipp was getting carried away with the under 20 sides under Cahill and placing great expectations on them, they were relatively unheralded and seen as a functional side which the management were getting the most out of.
While the 2022 and 2024 minors have loads of athletic hurlers with bags of skill and it doesnāt take much squinting to see the likes of McCormack, McCarthy etc transition into standout senior hurlers if they get a fair shake at it.
Same with Sheedy, Gunning, Hegarty, Collins et al who backboned the Clare minors in 2022 and 23- they are as good as prospects we have had at underage since the minors of 2010/2011 and look every bit the calibre Morey, Kelly, Galvin, Podge, Cunningham etc looked at the same age.
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The acid test for many of these up and coming young hurlers is the club championship. Auld lads like Noel Mc, Callinan, Brendan Maher were still dominating club games last year. The torch needs to be passed in that regard firstly before we talk about success at SIC.
There are green shoots are there also outside the minor and 20s silverware. Harty cup successes, pivotal men in Fresher and Fitzgibbon teams means that maybe the tsunami @peddlerscross is on about will be yet.
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That lad wouldnt lie straight in the bed
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Willie Hyland
Landers is spot on, made the point well
People are playing the man not the ball here
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Harnedy is easily Corkās greatest servant over the last decade. Doesnāt get half the attention because he isnāt knocking over handy frees and comes from an unfashionable club. Would have made any team in the country, Limerick included, throughout his career.
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A wanker can be right from time to time. Doesnāt means heās any less of a wanker
Lineage.
I dont think anyone can really foresee past tomorrow for Cork. They have a lot of hurlers coming through, that would be the case regardless of being in tomorrowās final. They looked superb in the semi final and may well win well tomorrow but a lot of things have to go well to sustain success.
For Clare the picture isnt a total transition right away but within 2-3 years weāll have to replace maybe 10 of the team. We wont be matching up with experienced squads for a few years as that emerges. Our forwards in particular will be dramatically different in 2026 I would wager. Backs may have some continuity with subs etc. emerging.
But I personally feel Limerick will have a hold over things for anothet 2-3 years anyway if they can sort the mental element again. Hayes going sulky racing a week before an AI semi and then the speeding offence tells me something isnt right. Theyre only introducing lads this year who would start for other counties and the hunger will drive the. Weāll see Tipp and KK back in the later part of the decade (i think KK could have another few years work to be honest but with WIT ane CIT they will expose ordinary 17 year olds to good standards that will help them develop to good seniors).
Waterford and Wexford will be a threat for 2-3 years and Galway will gradually come back.
Cork could win 2-3 of the next 5 or 6 to be fair but equally might only win 1 and run into trouble other years. A lot will depend on how they evolve to new challenges and adapt to success or any lack thereof.
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For Clare itās the culmination of a journey. For Cork itās the start of an odyssey.
However for some of the Cork players itās the end of an era. And for some of the Clare players the beginning of a voyage.
Narratives are hard lads.
Just enjoy the occasion.
Lucky bastards.
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I remember reading that in the Sunday Indo back in 2013. Back before I knew that you should only catch a glimpse of the Indo on your parents living room coffee table. A classless comment from a 36 year old who was smarting that heād been dropped from the county panel the previous autumn. An unnecessary dig at St Itaās.
2015 after the defeat to Galway. Taking that 2013 team to the cusp of the All-Ireland was a fine achievement. It was a far from vintage Cork team on paper with lads like Luke Oā Farrell and William Egan pivotal starters.
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And gamesmanship. They had that too.
No idea why you picked Luke OāFarrell out of that team, he wasnāt the worst by any stretch of the imagination. Was a huge talent at underage but got terrible injuries. IIRC he mainly played half-forward for Cork which wasnāt his position.
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Peak Flynner was as good as hoggie. Hoggie wouldnāt get in many best teams of the modern era selections, Ollie Canning would.
Horgan is an outstanding player who is the epitome of how to get the very best out of yourself through dedication, but take him off the frees and his profile wouldnāt be as high. Heās a a great player, but his longevity skews his acclaim imho. Heās been very good for cork, but itās not been that hard to stand out for them. Heās not in the same street as JC thatās for sure.
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Cork are at risk of not getting out of Munster any year. Itās high stakes poker down there, and Iād still back Limerick to beat them in any given game.
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Very few in the history of the game are
True
No, no heās not. Good free taker, about it.
I think heās the highest scorer from play as well.