Cork senior football team 2022

Can anyone explain to me how we have fallen so far behind conditioning and fitness wise compared to nearly every other county? I know there were huge issues with turnover of conditioning coaches with cuthbert and Healy and cut backs on gyms and building your own gym etc but my understanding is for mccarthys last 2 years we got all that sorted with a top class ex rugby fella smith in with O’Neill there also.
I can understand for a younger player it takes time but even our senior players are way off, hard to develop a team or plan when teams like Roscommon are able to blow you out of the way at will. I know from a clare man that they know they will dominate cork physically and are fitter, it’s a real hard fix when your this far behind the curve, how did we end up like this

Sean wrote:Can anyone explain to me how we have fallen so far behind conditioning and fitness wise compared to nearly every other county? I know there were huge issues with turnover of conditioning coaches with cuthbert and Healy and cut backs on gyms and building your own gym etc but my understanding is for mccarthys last 2 years we got all that sorted with a top class ex rugby fella smith in with O’Neill there also.
I can understand for a younger player it takes time but even our senior players are way off, hard to develop a team or plan when teams like Roscommon are able to blow you out of the way at will. I know from a clare man that they know they will dominate cork physically and are fitter, it’s a real hard fix when your this far behind the curve, how did we end up like this

That question will have to be answered Sean, but who will answer it is another question?
For my sins, I watched three Division 1 "football" games yesterday and last night on TG4 and in all three cases I saw nothing resembling
gaelic football. Also watched Armagh v Dublin on Saturday night, and while Armagh played a little bit of football the one thing that I notice
about all 8 teams is this. There wasn't a hurler in sight and I'd bet that very few of them lads play club hurling even at a low level.
Now I've left myself open for a few flakes from our hurling lovers but that's my answer, right or wrong.

You're right, Ranty.

Our players play too many games in football and most of them play hurling on top of that.

That ties in with Sean's S&C question - many of our players have insufficient time for rest, injury prevention, gym, rehab.

Seán Meehan and Brian Hurley appointed as joint captains

Tipp Ex wrote:Seán Meehan and Brian Hurley appointed as joint captains

Two good men in fairness and best of luck to them. In other news very happy that the Kerry game will be going to pairc ui rinn, a decision made in the interests of the senior football team which wouldn’t have happened previously

Having been a bit shocked when I first heard that our Championship game v Kerry will be in Páirc Uí Rinn, I'm now very happy about it.

Once we get over the legacy stuff (surely 50,000 people will want tickets?) I'm delighted we're not giving up home advantage, travelling down to the Animals' Town of Mammon or, worse again, up to the Hurling Stadium in Thurles.

Now, anyone got a spare ticket?

If somebody after a few pints in Mocs snug about 50 years ago told you that Cork GAA would spend over €100 million on revamping our hallowed home in Pairc Ui Caoimh, and in 2022 hand it over to an ENGLISH chap with a guitar making millions while Cork senior footballers playing Kerry in a Munster Semi-Final would be obliged to play in a soccer pitch up the hill, to facilitate this event, what would you think of his mental health.
You'd probably tell Moc this lad has enough now and FFS dont give him any more.

https://gaacork.ie/2022/02/04/cork-senior-football-team-to-play-clare-in-allianz-football-league/

Team for tomorrow announced.

Podsy wrote:https://gaacork.ie/2022/02/04/cork-senior-football-team-to-play-clare-in-allianz-football-league/

Team for tomorrow announced.

Interesting to say the least Podsy? No sign of Chris Og and Dineen to No 10.
No streaming anywhere AFAIK?

1 Míchéal Martin, Nemo Rangers
2 2Kevin O’Donovan, Nemo Rangers
3 Kevin Flahive, Douglas
4 Tadhg Corkery, Cill na Martra
5 Rory Maguire, Castlehaven
6 Sean Powter, Douglas
7 Matthew Taylor, Mallow
8 Shane Merrit, Mallow
9 Colm O’Callaghan, Eire Óg
10 Daniel Dineen, Cill na Martra
11 Blake Murphy, St. Vincents
12 John O’Rourke, Carbery Rangers
13 Mark Buckley, Dohenys
14 Brian Hurley, Castlehaven
15 David Buckley, Newcestown

16 Christopher Kelly, Eire Óg
17 Cian Kiely, Ballincollig
18 Paudie Allen, Newmarket
19 Paul Ring, Aghabullogue
20 John Cooper, Eire Óg
21 Joe Grimes, Clonakilty
22 Fionn Herlihy, Dohenys
23 Eoghan McSweeney, Knocknagree
24 Mark Cronin, Nemo Rangers
25 Cillian Donovan, Macroom
26 Luke Fahy, Ballincollig

Interesting is one word for it, Ranty.

I think those forwards will be switched around.

The obsession with Martin in goals continues.

Half-back line looks stronger but that full-back line has me worried.

I'm not aware of any stream, Ranty.

It’s a better team then last week and the forwards have potential, the issue agsin is getting ball to them and I’m sorry to say the keeper needs to be replaced, if there’s any wind on Saturday evening his kick outs into it will hardly reach the 40 and certainly won’t help a young midfield. Bit more pace around the middle which is critical

Martin in goals is going to put pressure on us from every kick out.
I think Powter is a great footballer and has great heart but I think he’s too small for centre half back. I’d play him at 5 and, just based on last week, would maybe have tried Cian Kiely at 6. He won a decent amount of dirty ball and his issue was that he was a bit hesitant going forward with it. Played at 6 with a brief to lay the ball off to the wing backs or midfielders might be worth looking at, but those who have seen more of him may tell me I’m mad. I presume the hope is that Powter will drive forward with the ball from 6 but will he not be running into the heart of a packed midfield and defence?

Like Podsy I’d worry about the full back line. It’s no surprise that the Barrs lads are taking a break but the sooner they are back and fit the better.

We can expect at least three changes to the starting 15 like last week IMHO.
For a start I doubt if Powter will start after his Sigerson exertions on Wednesday so Dhá Lámh might get his wish early with Kiely in at No 6. Powter will of course come in at some stage to right a sinking ship as most people expect Clare to be too strong for us.
My big hope is that Merritt will be the mushroom that Cork football has been waiting for?
If he is and O Callaghan gels with him, we just might win this game and head for Derry on the 20th with a spring in our step.

No way Kiely at 6, absolutely not related to that position, way way too nice. Maybe as a wing back but a panellist not a starter

Sean wrote:No way Kiely at 6, absolutely not related to that position, way way too nice. Maybe as a wing back but a panellist not a starter

Wouldn't argue too much with that but beggars can't be choosers. Interesting that you think he's only fit to be a panelist ?
I'm in the school of panelists should be good enough to play but that's probably out of date thinking anyway.

Clare FM commentary excellent: informative, descriptive, knowledgeable.

And they've just told us that there's a "dirty old scrámh blowing in from the Lee".
I'd imagine that's a shower?

Having dominated the first half and holding a narrow lead for most of the game, Clare got on top towards the end of the half.

0-09 to 0-06 behind, wind with Cork in the second half for what that's worth.

Paudie Palmer .............eat your heart out.
Them Clare boys know how to describe a football game without practising their
jawbreakers. Excellent commentary and Blake Murphy at No 11 has 3 points to his name already, all from play. We do have 5 wides to Clare's 3 playing against a strong wind. We live in hope, and maby fresh legs around the 50 minute mark might bring a welcome win.

Draw game. Probably not what we wanted? Will probably need an away win somewhere?

Fuck when you get a chance like cork did you must close that out, no shortage of effort and they stuck at it but the difference between a win at home and a draw is massive, next game away can Derry in 2 weeks followed by Galway at home and it’s hard to see us get anything from those games

Sean wrote:Fuck when you get a chance like cork did you must close that out, no shortage of effort and they stuck at it but the difference between a win at home and a draw is massive, next game away can Derry in 2 weeks followed by Galway at home and it’s hard to see us get anything from those games

Difficult to understand how that final free was taken by Cronin.   Excellent commentary by Clare FM lads but they didn't say if Hurley
was injured?   Merritt is an excellent long range kicker for his club anyway.?
If we can manage a draw in any of our three upcoming games we have a decent chance of staying up with the big boys.   Derry away, Galway home and Meath away shouldn't terrify a county like Cork, but here we are in the middle of January pleased with a draw at home to a County that our Juniors would beat a few short years ago.  
If we aren't better than Down and Offaly we don't deserve to be in Division 2 and with a few of the injured lads back plus Maguire and Sherlock I'd be very hopeful we can scrape a point or two from those three away games.

Either way I hope our footballers never resort to the thuggery we witnessed from our neighbours on TV last night v Dublin. They are
the pitts when it comes to sport and sportsmanship. The Brazil of gaelic football, my hole.

Merritt was off by the time the last free was taken. Another example of where Mark White would have been an asset, I think he'd have probably landed it. Cronin got one nice point after coming on but deciding to kick it out of his hands made no sense. Free taking was all over the place all night - Hurley dropped another relatively simple one short at 1-13 to 1-12 that would have sealed it, and even the goal was one Hurley should have landed but instead dropped short.

Cork had more possession throughout but has to work so much harder for scores than Clare. Most direct, threatening Cork forward all night was Fionn Herlihy when he came on. There was still a reluctance to try break tackles once on the Clare 45 but not as bad as the second half in Roscommon - Powter was a real driving force and showed some of his old runs with serious pace from half back like he used do after first breaking onto the team, Matty Taylor, Tadhg Corkery and Dineen also deserve praise for this too. The two Buckleys were very peripheral, John O'Rourke after getting the first point was likewise. Colm O'Callaghan had an excellent first half but badly blotted the copy book by giving Sexton a tap over free by double bouncing with no one near him, faded a bit in the second half. Couple of other Clare frees in the first half were very soft and without doing a whole pile they had a three point lead they could sit in and fouled a pile around the middle third in the second half - Deegan left his black card at home. The Clare penalty happened miles away from me but from my vantage it looked a bit harsh as well, three Cork men got around the Clare man and looked to have bottled him up.

Final two Clare scores were far too easy given the context, they ran at pace and nobody laid a hand on them. Overall, Cork deserve praise for the general performance because if they won by 3 or 4 points it would have better reflected the pattern of the game, but you're really struggling at this level without a reliable free taker. Blake Murphy pulled up with a muscle injury in the second half after getting three points, so the forwards department is looking even more threadbare. I'd start Sherlock next week, not only for free taking but there's no way he doesn't offer less threat than what's there already.

I've a feeling we could be looking at Clare's points total coming into the last two games of this league when trying to figure out the permutations for teams in the relegation places so it could be a costly point dropped last night, but generally came away from that game with more hope for this team than I had going into it.

Thanks for that 'fullcourt'. Didn't know that Merritt was gone till I read the S'indo report just now. Clare FM didn't tell us that he was replaced.
We know Deegan of old and we know him as the 'smiling assassin'. I can never remember him giving Cork anything only grief.
He's not alone either. Must be that 'Corkness' thing they have built into the 'Five Year Plan'?
The question I'd ask, is who was responsible for asking Mark Cronin to take that free?
Jesus Cripes almighty Ricken, Keane, O Crónín surely had a plan B for free taking if Hurley couldn't take them.
This is what makes me despair of Cork footballers. Zero cuteness.

Sadly I couldn't make the game last night. It is disappointing to drop points when you are two points up with a minute of normal time to play but I’m sure they’ll learn. Does anyone have the free count against us in the last two games? We seem to be conceding a lot. People talk about them being soft, and some are, but I wonder if it is also a reflection of our conditioning issues and our tackling style. Teams aren’t afraid to take us on rather than recycling the ball because some of our defenders wouldn’t exactly put the fear of God into you physically. Our tackling style is a bit frantic at times with arms flailing that can make it look worse than it is. Mayo seem to have perfected the tackle and we could do with having a look at that I think. They don’t like us anywhere outside Cork so we might as well get used to it!

Speaking of the attitude to Cork, it was interesting to see the bias of our RTE Dublin presenter Ms Cantwell coming to the fore at the end of their match. Dubs spanked off the park but still managed a sly dig at how Cork needed an own goal to get a draw against Clare. The fact the own goal put us two points up was ignored. Thankfully though Spillane was so busy laughing at it that he forgot to lay into his own lads for barely troubling the scoreboard in the second half. World beaters again…