Elbow? Eh?
They are well schooled in the dark arts of simulation in Ballygunnar
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What thread were you cock site of the win regardless on starting lineup again?
None of them?
Apparently Kingston/Dalton are fit next week. Would start Dalton for frees and put Horgan on the bench.
Horgan is finished.
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Seanie wants change
Seanie McGrath: Time for Cork to give youth its fling
I found it strange that when we were gasping for goals, we didn’t put more men like Brian Hayes in the team.
Brian Hayes of Cork with supporters after the 2023 Allianz Hurling League Division 1 match against Westmeath. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
TUE, 23 APR, 2024 - 06:00
SEANIE MCGRATH
Cork’s Walsh Park setback cannot be taken in isolation. There’s a clear trend playing out in front of our eyes. It’s worrying. It’s frustrating. It’s time for corrective action and change.
Absolutely nobody needs reminding of how long it has been since the county’s last All-Ireland, but if we even just look at the three most recent championship campaigns, the results are not at all encouraging.
It begs the question: Where is Cork hurling at the moment?
Taking Sunday gone, along with the 2022 and ‘23 summers, Cork have played 11 championship games. They’ve won four (one of those over Antrim), drawn one, and lost six. In Premier League parlance, that’s 13 points from a possible 33. That’s just-above-relegation-zone form. That’s really poor. It provides a compelling argument for change.
Across those 11 games, Cork raised 21 green flags. An average of two a game, barely.
On the run into Sunday’s opener, Pat Ryan said that Cork needed to be getting three or four goals each day they went out to be winning championship games.
And yet, when I looked at Sunday’s starting team, the only real in-form goal scorer of note was Alan Connolly. The Rockies man managed one at Walsh Park, but was otherwise scarcely fed.
There was an awful lot of shooting on sight from out the field, particularly the half-forward line, who I felt had teammates inside making runs. Whether it was selfish play or instruction from the line, Cork didn’t look like a team that was set up to try and get three or four goals.
If Brian Hayes was capable of coming on, then he was fit for involvement. Brian has shown at club level how capable he is of finding the net. Think also of his fabulous goal against Tipperary last year down the Páirc.
I found it strange that when we were gasping for goals, we didn’t put more men like Brian Hayes in the team. He should have started against Waterford. He should start against Clare.
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Pat is in a little bit of a precarious spot right now in that if he makes too many changes for this weekend, it might go against him. I am not so sure it will.
Names like Kingston, Downey, Cunningham, Meade, Hayes, and Roche need to come into the reckoning. Robbie O’Flynn, if he’s fit, will 100% come into the reckoning. Furthermore, I don’t believe it is too late to even dip into the U20s for names like Healy and Buckley.
All these fellas need to come into the conversation. It is staring us in the face in the wake of Sunday’s performance and the last two years that something different is needed.
Robbie O’Flynn of Cork in action against Keelan Hartigan of Clare. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
I know some of the above names have been tried before. But there are lads on that Cork bench whose time has come. I am thinking here of Brian Roche, Brian Hayes, Eoin Downey, and Ben Cunningham, Dalton, and Micheál Mullins if they are injury-free. They have a winning mentality from their U20 years. They offer something different.
Cork started desperately slow on Sunday. They were 1-4 to 0-1 behind inside 10 minutes. They were 1-8 to 0-4 behind on 20 minutes. You’d think Cork would have settled by this stage and found their range. Instead they were seven down.
Although the gap was pared to four by the break, there is a constant trend of this team allowing the opposition to run up sizable leads. And they then have to exert a colossal amount of energy just to get close or draw level.
When Alan Connolly goaled on 67 minutes, the deficit was a mere two. That was Cork’s opportunity to strike and sow doubt. Nothing, though, came from the goal. The home side hit the next two scores through Patrick Curran and Dessie Hutchinson to shove their lead out to four again.
That to me is a huge concern. We are conceding too many scores. We have a problem in our backline. That was our third championship game in the last four where the opposition surpassed the 30-point total. It is getting through our half-back line too easily.
We seem to lack that punch when the game is there for the taking. We seem to lack some sort of a killer instinct.
In the half-back line, I am not sure the blend is right. Is Mark Coleman better off in a midfield position, Darragh Fitz maybe going to No.11, and Eoin Downey getting his opportunity in the half-back line?
Clare’s visit is knockout. They are strong in areas that we are going to be worried about. I have Clare down as a better team on paper than Waterford.
I am down the Páirc with the Cork minors, so I see the effort the seniors are making. One evening there in the last fortnight, they met Gary Keegan around 5pm. By the time they were done on the field, it was 8.30pm. That timespan for one evening’s get-together shows the work going into this.
There is no question but a huge effort is being put in by all in the Cork camp. But can you be too methodical? Is there a time to go for broke, to give youth its fling? Is that time approaching for Pat to try something different? We know the answer.
Special Teams. Takes him around a minute to take a free. Around 20 seconds at least for him to trot out and take a free.
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Aboi Seanie boi
Two of these weren’t on the bench the last day, and Hayea was poor when he came on. Got the run around for two Waterford points. Not sure what the deal is with Brian Roche right now.
Downey and Dalton could easily start the next day.
Fuck me 3 and a 1/2 hours…amateur players…absolutely pointless
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Probably had to finish up work or whatever else at 3 or half 3 to get there for half 4 and that’s just the city based players. Home then maybe around half 9 or 10 o 'clock.
This is what the GPA wanted the cunts
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- Josh Goulding, Glen Rovers
- Cian Denis O Connor, Millstreet
- Rian O’Riordan, Blackrock
- Liam Kelleher, Douglas, Captain
- Kevin Beechinor, Eire Og
- Conor Noonan, Kanturk
- John Murphy, Mallow
- Jack O’Brien, Douglas
- Jack Hegarty, Ballinora
- Leo Hennessy, Ballymartle
- Mark O’Brien, Douglas
- Luke Murphy, Barryroe
- Adam Lee, Cloyne
- Joe Twohig, Valley Rovers
- Michael Brosnan, Glen Rovers
- Adam Lee, Carrigtwohill
- David Enright, Inniscarra
- Colm Garde, Lisgoold
- Dean Cosgrave, Courcey Rovers
- Oisin O’Connell, Carrigaline
- Cormac Deane, Killeagh
- Conor O’Donoghue, St Finbarrs
- Peter Barrett, Midleton
- Liam O’Mahony, Newtownshandrum
Watching the Minors here. Hard to tell if the Cork lads are just massive or if the Wahurford lads are just small.
All Cork underage teams are very big.
That’s a recent enough trend, I remember them being average enough sized ten years ago when I was back home.
Interestingly I don’t think the u20s are that huge by any means. I thought Clare looked bigger the last day despite their younger team.
The minors have a big team for sure. Few big subs as well. Meyler seems to have emphasised a balance of lighter skillful lads and more physically able players. Not sure I agree with his philosophy but we await and see. Some really nice prospects there.
1.Paudie O’Sullivan- Fr. O’Neills
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Denis Cashman – Bride Rovers
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Kevin Lyons – Ballygarvan
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Darragh O’Sullivan – Capt- Ballinhassig
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James Dwyer- Ballincollig
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Óran O’Regan- Erins Own
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Cillian Tobin – Bride Rovers
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Mikey Finn – Midleton
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Ben Walsh – Killeagh
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Diarmuid Healy – Lisgoold
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Tadhg O’Connell – Ballincollig
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Barry Walsh – Killeagh
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David Cremin – Midleton
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William Buckley – St. Finbarr’s
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Jack Leahy – Dungourney
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Daniel O’Connell – Dromina
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James O’Brien – Fermoy
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Timmy Wilk – Cobh
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Peter O’Shea – Erins Own
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Ronan O’Connell – Bride Rovers
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Johnny Galvin – Eire Óg
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Adam O’Sullivan – Ballinhassig
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Ross O’Sullivan – Na Piarsaigh
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Eoin O’Leary – Glen Rovers
Extended Panel
Ollie McAdoo – Blackrock, Mark O’Dwyer – Russell Rovers,
Rory Troy – Newtownshandrum, David O’ Leary – Ballincollig,
Shane Couglan – Fermoy, James Murray – Youghal,
Ryan Sweeney – Blackrock, Ronan Dooley – Douglas,
Barry O’Flynn – Sarsfield, Jayden Casey – Youghal,
Eoin Guinane – Valley Rovers
Not his fault but O’Regan at 6 will cost us an AI.
Also what is the story with the Minor? Two or three or four go through?