Cork Senior Hurling 2024

I'm the furthest thing from a hurling expert but I've seen enough since 1982 to realise we are a middle of the road team with expectations way beyond our station. I simply put it down to a lack of of real hunger within the county. Like the footballers, we want it but we don't need it. Clare, Derry, Kilkenny, Tyrone and Kerry need All Irelands or it's an existential crisis within their GAA communities. In Cork it's meh, yerra we'll win one soon and everything will be grand. Imagine the consternation if Kerry or KK went 20 years without an AI. The problem is Hoggy, Harnedy, Coleman and O Donoghue are household names within the county, held on a par to guys with a few AI medals by the droves of event junkies who travel to support them. The hurlers have got a very easy ride from the Cork public compared to the almost disdain the footballers were held in, that has eventually galvanized them and is a driving force behind their return to some sort of respectable form.

The two counties you name CFP cater almost exclusively for ONE code.

Ranty wrote:The two counties you name CFP cater almost exclusively for ONE code.

True but it doesn't change the fact that those codes are essential to the identity and collective spirit of a significant percentage of their populations. None of the thousands of event junkies that will throng PUC next Sunday will wake up depressed on Monday and walk around under a cloud for the week if Cork lose and exit the championship.
Listening to Mark Landers today and he let the cat out of the bad as to the strange thinking within Cork hurling. He said Pat Ryan should have started the younger players v Waterford because he'd have a better excuse if they were beaten. If the primary concern when picking a team is the coach hedging his bets to protect his reputation then we are in a bad situation.

Is it really that important in the overall scheme of life in a huge county like Cork, with a City and many other sporting pursuits?
It's hard to measure the degree of importance on the result of any amateur sport but I'd suggest that hurling in Kilkenny and Football in Kerry are so important because they specialise to the detriment of other sports and always have done.
That will never happen in Cork in modern times as the winning of GAA cups now requires a professional approach.
Neither Kerry or Kilkenny would beat Cork in soccer or rugby which are only semi professional.
My guess is, for what it's worth, we will have to live with past glories except for the odd occasion when 'that crowd' are weak and we have an exceptional pool of talent.
All very unlikely though, as we don't foster either code properly in secondary schools, unlike the 'those crowds'.

Ranty, take a walk around the city after a cork hurling win to get an understanding of what it means , hurling in particular as football outside isolated parts of north and west cork has
Little interest for cork people but hurling crosses over all codes due to our storied history in the game. Cork are in the doldrums currently as we have a successful underage management who have not got the confidence to give youth its chance, NO county has the underage talent and potential we have in hurling and unfortunately ryan et al don’t know how to best use it and this season in both codes is a pathetic write off again, however cork will win a hurling all Ireland followed by a few more once this crowd move on of that im sure. Chat GPT reckons in the next 3 years while the footballers may win one in 2032 apparently but after looking at our travails in division 2 for the last five years it seems accurate.
Also there are 2 secondary schools for hurling in Kilkenny, there are 3/4 football schools for football in kerry, cork has too
Many of both and schools don’t matter, if that was the case now. Of Dublin or mayo would be competitive either

Mayo 1950 or 51. Dublin €€€€€€€€€.
Sadly I live many miles from the city but I take your point.
I'm aware of the heritage thing but that seems to have worn off as far as winning cups goes.
A lot of present day supporters never saw Cork winning Liam McCarthy.
I hope you are correct when you say they will, but the team will have to learn how to cheat. Take far too many steps and throw it around until the gaps appear.

Changes for next Sunday. Obviously a reaction to last week. Some might say a bit of panic or desperation

Team for Sunday

1.Patrick Collins, Ballinhassig
2.Niall O’ Leary,Castlelyons
3.Eoin Downey,Glen Rovers
4.Sean O’ Donoghue,Inniscarra (c)
5.Tim O’ Mahony,Newtownshandrum
6.Ciaran Joyce,Castlemartyr
7.Robert Downey,Glen Rovers
8.Ethan Twomey,St.Finbarr’s
9.Darragh Fitzgibbon,Charleville
10.Declan Dalton,Fr O’Neill’s
11.Shane Barret, Blarney
12.Seamus Harnedy,St Ita’s
13.Brian Hayes,St Finbarr’s
14.Alan Connolly,Blackrock
15.Patrick Horgan,Glen Rovers

16.Brion Saunderson,Midleton
17.Damien Cahalane,St Finbarr’s
18.Ger Millerick,Fr O Neill’s
19.Tommy O Connell,Midleton
20. Mark Coleman,Blarney
21.Luke Meade,Newcestown
22.Shane Kingston,Douglas
23.Robbie O Flynn,Erin’s Own
24.Jack O Connor,Sarsfields
25.Conor Lehane,Midleton
26.Sean Twomey,Courcey Rovers

Definitely a smell of panic and a touch of punishment about it. Tough on Cahalane. To give him his due, he has totally maximised whatever hurling and athletic ability he possesses. Is his level good enough to be part of an AI winning side is the question. I've always seen Cahalane as a barometer of our progress and believed if he is good enough to be our full back then we're not quite there and It was inevitable he would be jettisoned before AI success. You might conceivably with 5 other top quality forwards carry a Hoggy to an AI but not a full back.

Harsh on Millerick, Tommy O C and Coleman.

Can only presume Robbie O Flynn still isn't match fit.
And let's me honest, Horgan and Harnedy are lucky as F**k to be still picked based on last week's performance. I know Lehane deserves it but at least he got on ball

caughtforpace wrote:Definitely a smell of panic and a touch of punishment about it. Tough on Cahalane. To give him his due, he has totally maximised whatever hurling and athletic ability he possesses. Is his level good enough to be part of an AI winning side is the question. I've always seen Cahalane as a barometer of our progress and believed if he is good enough to be our full back then we're not quite there and It was inevitable he would be jettisoned before AI success. You might conceivably with 5 other top quality forwards carry a Hoggy to an AI but not a full back.

Though Tommy O Connell was our only "dog" the last day. Wasn't expecting him to be dropped. Agree about Cahalane. TBH I'd see him being an incredibly powerful addition to the footballers

The issue with Tommy is where do you play him, his attitude is excellent. If you need to change midfield but keep fitzgibbon I would have went for o’mahoney but Twomey is certainly the future, you can’t put him wing back because Clare have 2 huge wing forwards and he is weak in the air as is coleman.
They have taken a risk and there is a bang of panic off the selection but at least there are changes and most ‘on paper’ make the team stronger, but considering how strong and settled Clare are with possibly Kelly to start it’s a real ask at this stage

Cork have no option. They just have to throw off the shackles and go for it

Tipp Ex wrote:Changes for next Sunday. Obviously a reaction to last week. Some might say a bit of panic or desperation

Team for Sunday

1.Patrick Collins, Ballinhassig
2.Niall O’ Leary,Castlelyons
3.Eoin Downey,Glen Rovers
4.Sean O’ Donoghue,Inniscarra (c)
5.Tim O’ Mahony,Newtownshandrum
6.Ciaran Joyce,Castlemartyr
7.Robert Downey,Glen Rovers
8.Ethan Twomey,St.Finbarr’s
9.Darragh Fitzgibbon,Charleville
10.Declan Dalton,Fr O’Neill’s
11.Shane Barret, Blarney
12.Seamus Harnedy,St Ita’s
13.Brian Hayes,St Finbarr’s
14.Alan Connolly,Blackrock
15.Patrick Horgan,Glen Rovers

16.Brion Saunderson,Midleton
17.Damien Cahalane,St Finbarr’s
18.Ger Millerick,Fr O Neill’s
19.Tommy O Connell,Midleton
20. Mark Coleman,Blarney
21.Luke Meade,Newcestown
22.Shane Kingston,Douglas
23.Robbie O Flynn,Erin’s Own
24.Jack O Connor,Sarsfields
25.Conor Lehane,Midleton
26.Sean Twomey,Courcey Rovers

When you panic, you do stupid things as the brain is not allowed to work. That is what has happened here. Incredibly, it looks like they have been reading the opinionated idiots on PROC and in a blind panic have decided to follow the idiots' lead.

Personally I'm delighted to see so many changes, I don't see it as panic at all...I see it as a realisation that change is needed and badly needed. I wouldn't criticise the management for that...I'd be more disillusioned with them if they panicked into not making changes and sticking to what hasn't been working in the hope that it would suddenly come good.

Whether it will work, or if they are the right changes remains to be seen. Assuming there is no dummy team about this, again, personally I would probably have stuck with O'Connell, Coleman and possibly Millerick. I thought O'Connell worked as hard as anyone in a difficult slog for him last Sunday and am a bit surprised at his dropping. Millerick wasn't the worst either but Nial O'Leary is a pretty like for like swap and won't weaken the team.

Coleman did good and not so good things but to be fair it was his first game in a while. The same conundrum remains about Coleman too though...we know what he's great at and what his weaknesses are...and so do the opposition. And then it goes back to where do you play him...brilliant with the ball in his hand bit not so great off the ball. Still think Cork are better with him in the team though.

Lehane was always going to be the obvious fall guy in attack but I think Hoggie is very fortunate to be still starting games. With every passing year over the last few years we're getting very little from him in open play...the odd great point, the odd magic flick, little cameos here and there. Not enough to still warrant starting games where ferocious intensity is required and where you need to be making life difficult for your opponent in every play. Needs a really big game on Sunday to justify his inclusion.

I'm pleased to see Dalton in and expect a big performance from him, and he should be chomping at the bit. Hayes I'm not so sure of, he can score but I'm not convinced about his workrate. Strong bench though...having Robbie, O'Connor, Lehane & Kingston to spring against tiring legs after 50 mins should be gamechanging and could be crucial.

Either way we're up against it and this is probably last chance saloon for the year. No more excuses, no more chances...this is serious shit and if this Cork team don't realise that or just aren't good enough then our year ends on Sunday.

Might be no harm to throw Joe Canning's words of the wisdom up on the proverbial dressing room wall on Sunday morning.

Id say Niall O'Leary was picked to mark Tony Kelly so he's not playing. Who'll he pick up? Rogers?

The only player who can really consider himself unlucky is Tommy O’Connell but I can understand why the selectors have gone with Ethan. Hoggie and Harnedy can both consider themselves very lucky. Hayes definitely frustrates at times but there’s potential there if he can tap into it. This could be a very high scoring game so Cork will need their forwards firing. Hayes has an eye for goals so will hopefully give Clare another player to think about on that front and can’t just swarm Connolly to ensure Cork don’t have a goal scoring threat.

Clare are the better team, but people said that about Cork last week.

Just tear into the fuckers and get the crowd behind em. I hope we have a good lead early on cause as usual, we'll go to sleep for long spells. Cant be playing catch up yet again like most games this season.
I hope we see an aggressive but measured Tim O'Mahony, not the yellow card, stupid shooting from all angles Tim O'Mahony

Have said it for years. Our goal keeper needs to be changed. His puck outs offer nothing

Patrick Collins,what is he doing with the puck outs.

Puckouts a disaster. Backs too loose, therefore giving away too many easy frees, ref is giving Clare the marginals. Need to tighten back there.

Get ball into Connolly, Hayes, they look dangerous especially Alan. Hoggie answering a few questions. 3 goals missed

Could have done withour HT actually. Tim has his usual yellow card, needs to be careful now

I might sound like a amateur but a little bit of fire and brimstone goes a long long way. It's about time we see passion. Win or lose once they die on their shields then character can not be questioned.

We all know they can hurl, they have been missing the anger factor.

Hoggy. Marry me.

This keepers striking is fucking terrible