Cork GAA - They're going home! - sponsored by Sports Direct and Super Valu

As usual the lads on PROC are pillorying Cahalane even though himself and SOD, and to a lesser extent Downey, were the only ones of the back 6 to come out with the slightest bit of credit. Joyce/O’Mahony were particularly poor. Obvious issues are that (a) about 4 of the starting 6 backs have the turning speed of the titanic and (b) Coleman is completely unable to deal with half-forwards running at him in the way, for example, Da Burca can. Combine both together, along with the painfully mediocre work-rate of our midfield/forwards and you have a team that could have easily conceded 7 goals.

Elsewhere Connolly is anonymous when the team is on the back foot and I’m not sure what Millerick offers at midfield that the likes of Meade didn’t already give us (and Meade often grabbed a point or two).

If it wasn’t for some great individual scores from O’Flynn and Kingston we would have deservedly lost by 15 points.

They weren’t going for it

There was absolutely no point in trying to win that last night against a team short a few regulars.

I went to the game cos being a season ticket holder got it for nothing. I genuinely think that cork were holding back a bit particularly on Waterford puck outs and over playing the ball around the middle. For the Limerick game i expect more pressure on the Limerick backs once they get the ball and better ball onto the FF line with less playing around the middle

Do Cork have to beat Limerick in a couple of weeks?

So they were just pretending to be shit?

2 Likes

No not pretending to be shit but would still be wary. If there’s any bit of heart in this cork team they have to put in a huge performance against Limerick. 2 hidings in a row in national finals and the scoreline flattered cork lat night

How was O’Mahony particularly poor? He was our best player last night.

I said at the start of the year that Joyce has to be the 6 next year and move Coleman midfield. They should have done this in the league this year to allow joyce settle into the position but it’s too late now. Coleman has to stay there.
I love Coleman, and he’s up there with the most gifted hurlers around but management are doing him a disservice keeping him in a position that isn’t natural for him. He’s the best 6 in the country on the ball,but off it he just doesn’t read danger like de Búrca does.
We don’t turnover a fucking thing from midfield up. What was the logic in letting Waterford go short and not putting them under serious pressure after? Everything was so fucking zonal. I don’t recall us thrning them over once in our forwards. You can beat certain teams playing like that but you won’t beat the best.
Last week i felt the first half against Kilkenny was very concerning, and tonight vindicated that.

2 Likes

That game last night will do Cork the world of good. You often learn more in defeat than victory. Cork are a work in progress whereas Waterford are further along in their development.

We are much better place than last year. Im still very optimistic for the year ahead.

2 Likes

Look at their goals - he was very poor for number 2 and 3. Also I’m not sure I’d Joyce in the half-back line after last night, think we’d get more out of him at midfield and would be a better partner for Fitzgibbon. Agreed on Coleman - he shouldn’t be there. Problem is he is too light for pretty much anywhere on the pitch.

Problem with O’Mahony and Coleman is that they dont have defensive instincts. Ger Millerick and Joyce must play in the backs, but can see why you would want Joyce in midfield.

As it stands, I think this is the team for the first round.

PC

SOD DC NOL

TOM MC RD

CJ DF

ROF SB SK

CL ? ?

We are badly stuck for in form forwards. Jack O’Connor’s poor form is definitely a big issue, he was our x-factor last year.

As an aside, we need real competition for Collins - have his little brother as his understudy is crazy.

Waterford should be knocking on the door. That samr squad went toe to toe with the current Limerick squad at underage. They would have an all Ireland by now if cahill was managing them over the last 3/4 years

They will be bang there alright.

Agreed - big issue with identifying danger in the back six as a whole, letting unmarked runners ghost through for example.

I admire your optimism. Where do you see the improvement coming? I would have thought the stage cork are at they’d have wanted to be fairly settled with how they’re playing and with their lineout by last night. There’s even more doubts about them everywhere now and it’s a bit late to be making rafts of changes. There’s a lot of quality there but it doesn’t seem to be coming together.

They are a work in progress. Young players exceeding expectations. They never threw in the towell last night. Conceeded goals just as they were gaining momentum.

We are in a far better position than last year. Championship is the litmus test. I think we will be fine. Its all conjecture at this stage but I think either Cork or Waterford will win all ireland.

3 Likes

Fair play. I think cork and a lot of their players have been much maligned in recent years. I do think they needed to being it together a bit sooner this year so I don’t see it for them this year. Also would have thought they meed to do it while Horgan and Harnedy are still contributing or else it’s gonna take even longer.

Harnedys legs are gone. Still has a role to play and a nice player to be bringing on with 20 mins to go, where you need composure. Hoggy will be fine, championship will spark him.

1 Like