Cork GAA Discussion Thread

Horse84 wrote: »

Yea true that needs to be said too. If cronin is played at 14 long high ball cant be lumped down on him time and again. There was a tendency to do that when he was on the 40 and cusack continually pumped ball down on him to the point where it got repetitive. The likes of kilkenny would love that.
By using him at 14, defenders are drawn to him allowing space for the likes of horgan. This cork team needs space, in fact it's all about space, without it it's like depriving oxygen to a fire, we die without it. How we go about creating it interests and worries me and it's partly why I've been so critical with the games I've seen so far.

Splendid post,exactly my own sentiment.


And like i have always said evoultion like in life,
The key to survival.
Lad i must say your bang on the money lately.

lukin wrote: »

Just letting everyone know somebody has taken these off my hands.

I hope you gave them to two Corkmen (or Corkwomen) as all support is needed!

Senior footballers make four changes for clash with Rebels 27/02/2014

Dublin have made four changes to their starting 15 for Saturday night’s NFL Division 1 clash against Cork in Croke Park (7.0).
Seán George resumes at full-back (following suspension) with Philly McMahon moving to corner-back and Darragh Nelson losing out from the side which defeated Westmeath last time out.
James McCarthy will make his first appearance of the year at centre-back following injury (groin/hip) with Cian O’Sullivan now sited at midfield alongside Michael Darragh Macauley.
In attack Bryan Cullen will start at left half-forward with Ciarán Reddin moving to full-forward in place of Eoghan O’Gara while Cormac Costello, who made his league starting debut against Kerry in Round 1 of the NFL, at left full-forward after missing the Westmeath tie owing to illness – Shane Carthy and Paul Mannion are the other players selected against the midlanders who are not selected on this occasion.

DUBLIN (SF v Cork)

1 Stephen Cluxton (Parnell’s)
2 Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
3 Seán George (Ballymun Kickhams)
4 Mick Fitzsimons (Cuala)
5 Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s)
6 James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
7 Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
8 Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
9 Michael Darragh Macauley (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
10 Paul Flynn (Fingallians)
11 Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
12 Bryan Cullen (Skerries Harps)
13 Kevin McManamon (St Jude’s)
14 Ciarán Reddin (Nh Maur)
15 Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)

I suppose the main reason I'm so excited about the game tomorro night is that it will tell us exactly how good Cork are at the moment. Cork is a team in development at the moment, and as rightly pointed out Dublin are a year ahead of Cork under Gavin. I think the game could be close, anything from maybe a very narrow win by Cork to maybe a 3-4 point loss. I'd be disappointed if Cork lost by any more than 4 points, but that wouldn't be the end of the world. I think Dublin have to be seen as the benchmark in football. It will be interesting to see if Cuthbert has a plan to dismantle Dublin, because I think that the winner of Sam in 2014 will have to beat Dublin at some stage. Also, Tomorro night will be an excellent indicator of how much Cork have progressed under Cuthbert, how effectively his philosophy on the game is, and how much more work needs to be done to bring Cork up to the required standard. A win would be great tomorro night, but in many ways Cork would have a lot more to learn in defeat than in victory.

Munster B Final

Hamilton and Ballincollig drew last night.Replay is the 7th march.
Unlikey Cahalane will start against offaly two days later.

Today is a huge game for cork hurling and for CIT,and after loosing a fitzgibbon cup final and a Cork county final,I would love them to win it today,3rd time lucky,and its great Newtownshandrum ,have such a strong infulence,the excellent Pat Mulchay ,and Donal on the management team.


And Jamie Coughlan and Kevin o connor on the team.Cit i have a belief they will finally after loosing the county final and the fitzgibbonn by a point,today they will scrape it,wouldnt be suprised if extra time was needed or they won by a point.


.Bonnar has won 4 fitzgibbon cups in 12 years at Wit,and yes they must be favourites however i saw plenty in the game v ucc that they are beatable.and also ,Lit ,a very limited team minus ,sean o brien pushed them all the way.They had 80 minutes of tough hurling.
Bonnar credit due,i didnt think he would ,got wit to beat davys system,just about.

However Ucc,showed last week as they were in a titatanic battle in the semifinal ,and had 13 men,and then without Cronin in the final beat the favourites,in a home game for them,that you can recover from the exertions of the day before.

Yes ucc didnt have extra time on the friday,but Cit had such a titatnic battle themselves,with a roller coaster of emotions,that Wit are not the only team with a huge ask to get another huge performance out of the players.


Two key factors today is the mindset rather than the physical fatigue and the wind factor.Who ever has the fresness of mind may edge it .Who ever gets the advantage of playing with the wind could well decide it.Yes ,lit showed they could claw it back ,but to do that a second day in a row ,and to have the same focus and composure ,when the legs do tire in the second half ,is a tough ask.
Its much easier to hang on to a lead and defend with tired bodies than chase a lead and make things happen,as you have no margin for error.Cit hopefully get the wind in the ist half.


Cit team isnt laden with stars like ul or ucc,but they have four key game players ,in Michael O sullivan,John cronin,David drake and Kevin hallisey who could start that played in that county loss to carrigtwohill ,and also against ucc two years ago.Hallisey has expierence of big games with Cork u21 football,and minor,all ireland finals i both.

Jamie Coughlan has senior expierence,in the all ireland final.John Cronin has had a terrifc campaign1-2 yesterday,always performed for Cork u21 football and hurling,and interemediate also.
Superb against Carrigtwohill ,in 2011,he is a real captain,he always performs in big games.A huge work ethtic and strong in the air.


Is he senior standard??im not convinced but i would have him any day of the week over Haughney ,bud hartnett,naughton,as he shows a hunger and real desire to work hard .Hurling may not be sharp ,thats my concern.But he is brave,and does he try.If every player had hes guts and drive.


Michael sullivan is similar to Cronin,but i feel he is faster and more hurling than cronin.Bill Cooper,a County and Intermediate winner in Munster with Youghal is a leader,and when you see Cooper,O sullivan,Cronin they have strong mobile ball winners in the air,a real forager and like an openside in rubgy,a great man in Sullivan at the breakdown,throw in the guile and craft of Coughlan,with the marquee forward,Senior with Tipp Bubbles O dywer,another man that can clean up in the air,but score at ease and has plenty of big game expierence with Tippeary,Cit have a physical.,mobile ,athletic core in the middle third.Sullivan should have too much doggness,strength and bite at midfield for kenny.


The key is all those lads are warriors,would win a battle for you.Even coughlan a fast wristy hurler will mix it and is brave.
Drake has played intermediate,u21,minor and done well for cork and done good in the county final and shouldnt of been taken of.

My worry is the full back line ,and they could leak goals.Eoin keane would be a super presence there and stabilse it .I just dont think him and ellis are a fortress at half back.

Paudric o Mahony ,is a huge test for either of them.Keane would be better suited to him, if he stays thereand the weather may ,allow with the drop in pace to intercounty keane to surive here.Murphy of kilkenny has pace.


Thats my worry with cit ,the full back line and half back line.Stephen murphy would be better at half back ,i feel,with keane at 3.
Both lines would benfit .
Jake dillion at 14 could with liam mcgrath and gavin o brien,all played intercounty underage ,has goals in them .
Bar hamill the wit half back line,cit should match them.
That wit full back line of gahan and maher isnt the strongest and there is goals there.Espiceally if hallisey plays ,with drake.
I wont sit on the fence,i make a prediction Cit to win it.

Just on now tg4,sullivan didnt start,a huge loss .virgo glen,a good hurler but different style to virgo.

Ellis woeful mistake for a lad that wants to play with cork.

Any links for Cork-Dublin streams tonight?

Credit Wit,a great win but Sullivan was a huge loss to Cit.I had said he would have the edge on kenny at centrefield,i think kenny got 3 points ,shows how much a loss he was.

Willam murphy tried hard but like corbet before he got injured ,struggles at this level.Gutted for cit,but a lot learned from ,a Cork perspective in that game.


Sthephen Murphy outstanding at corner back ,a cork u21 this year.
Ellis awful ist half from a cork senior.Give away a sloppy point,ist minute.He looks slow and cumbersome going forward.Never dominated second half got a point,oceans of space ahead of him,made a point,when WIT tired,and retreated,he grew in to it.


I say to everyone that thinks he is intercounty standard watch that 1st half again.Not what were looking for.


Man of the match for CIT was eoin keane.Christ he was superb,cleaned up at least 6 super catches,and always laid it of intelligent.Very sharp hurling,long crisp deliverys.I said he was the man for mahony.I was spot on ,he cleaned him out.He even in the ist half against the wind covered in the full back line.Super ist touch.


Jake dillion ,caused him problems with hes pace,that point by the sideline where he ran away from i
Him ,and scored showed he is not a half back but could be a terrific full back.

In the ist half dillion got a long ball in the ist half in by goal ahead of murphy.Keane came in ,as he turned murphy.keane stood upright ,tall and firm,used that firm hard,core strength ,that o neill,mcdonnell doesent have ,and forced him to point than go for goal.

Keane also at will used hes strength in a core of crowded bodies to ,always stand over and protect loose ball.Time and again when he won ball he broke tackles and opened the shoulders,and hit great crisp clearances.


Most importantly he showed leadership and a presence always demanding and making himself avaible for short puck outs,and blew waterford lad out of it with a shoulder.He would get beaten for pace at half back,but would be ideal at 3,for cork ,a great hand,tough,fast hurling and great reading.


Spillane is a yard faster and everything keane is,so he is my 1st choice,but i wouldnt have any problem ,and said it all along keane has the attruibutes to play there.
Superb.Only for injury ,would have been there already.


Cronin was everyhere ,half back,midfield,half forward,what a work horse,great shift two great points,2 bad wides also.Couldnt overall fault him.Lacks a bit for senior ,maybee but i would if we had to ,have him n an extended panel.

Cooper,has to get a recall.Fast,mobile,sharp hurling,lovely points,great dummy for one ,was brillant.Good touch.Yes shooting is erratci ,and not a starter but much better than cian mac ,has to be on the cork panel.


Drake not hes best day but with cronin ,a certain starter with cork intermediates.john o dywer superb,i thought,could have a great career with tipp.


Cit could have won ,crucially never got the lead score.Murphy that came on for sullivan was poor.
Cit didnt have a bench,but the short,possesion game worked well for them.If cork with harnedy ,and lehane,and walsh running with the ball,would be suited to it ,and walsh and harnedy are good in the air also.
Not a great day for cit ,but useful lessons learned froms corks perspective.

Great win over the Dubs! Fabulous stuff! Everyone assumed we were finished with all the retirements but looks like it is going to have the opposite effect. Obviously it would be preferable to still have Sheehan but we'll bate on.

Eoin Keane has to feature for Cork after his display for CIT today. He was unreal. He is exactly what we were missing last year. Whether it's in the half back line or full back, I'm not sure, but give the man gametime to find out.

lukin wrote: »

Good win but let's not get too carried away; Dublin were missing the two Brogans, Connolly and Mannion.

And Flynn, Daly, O Carroll, Brennan and Rock.;)

A super game of game of football,superb performance,and the 1st real test of management and players in a perfect night for both teams wanting to play football.
The team picked,i posted thursday night and said what was availble bar one poistion,i was very happy with it,and said it was a good team.
Both teams deserve credit for playing the game the way it should be.A beautfuil open game of football.


Dorman starting in the full back line instead of Cronin,and he moving him out didnt do dorman any favours.At minor and u21 he has proved he isn suited to the full back line,and the kildare game ,it was the opponent suited him.He is a wonderful,player,and as he proved with Ucc,and club,half back is hes best posistion.
That was a wrong call by management ,and we paid dearly for it for 25 minutes,our whole line lost its shape and all 3 were in real trouble.Cronin should have stayed in the corner.That swtich to the team picked was wrong,but ,its one thing to make a mistake,at least they just waited 25 minutes to change things.Dorman shouldnt of been taking off ,and should of played at half back.
He if he is their in the u2 1 game will be roasted.He is a great talent,not a full back.Musnt be judged on tonight.
I hope it does  not affect hes confidence for the u21 game.Not he's fault tonight,great future ahead.


The management acted fast but ,i thought they did a lot right,with colm o neill introduction and hodnett ,but moving mark collins back to midfield for hodnett to come on ,so gould could go to half back ,and then ,cronin  back to the corner was a complex situation that could of been done by leaving collins where he was and bringing deane on at midfield with gould moving back.It worked out,but im always sceptical to make a whole lot of changes just over one aera


I also felt that while galvin was being caused problems by mcnemonn,the whole unit was in trouble ,in that 20 minutes,and that was down to a systematic failure,caused by dorman in there.

Galvin was beginning to settle and grow in to the game.He should as i said be given game time like others got,and with cadogan out next week-shields at full back,he should start with cronin.
Also Walsh was our best midfielder ,but shouldnt have be taken off ,and also Deane was brought on far too late ,when we were cleaned out in the middle for most of the game.
Gould certainly isnt an option for championship with walsh.

Overall though the management done very well and ,even though twas harsh with dorman,they made a great call with kevin crowley being used fast ,and they are more ruthless on the line and act faster than the previous set up

They do deserve immense credit ,for the introduction of youth and the real real intent to play ,fast fluent ,attacking open football,at pace ,with a real intent on the kick pass ,and none of the slow,laboured hand pass,back and forth like a rubgy team,but real ,use of the attacking talent we have ,with a superb pace and spatial awarness ,to there game.When cork do handpass,it is composed,to get them out of a tight spot,or an offload to a runner in space,but they dont over use the handpass,they kick most of the time.

It must be four years ,since i saw a cork team play with such fluency and pace and real intent to attack in croke park against a top team .
A performance ,is what i wanted ,i said thursday,to get the win against a Dublin team very much up for it,was a superb result.Credit due.
6 points,top of the league,we wont get relegated.We are now looking at ,with two home games,Derry who provide a different challenge,won't play like dublin,and tyrone whos movement and pace is mixed with grit and resoultness ,a real chance of a semi final.People say we are all ireland contenders now this year.Very early to say that,and i don't think so.Making good progress,but not a finished article yet,and midfield must be sorted ,the right balance at half back.


Kerry and Mayo are huge games,but if we win the home games,you do have room for error .
Very happy with 3 wins,but while lessons in some aeras have to be learned,we are moving in the right direction.

Paddy kelly is due to start next week,clancy may also,cahalane is due in a few weeks,and jamie sullivan due back in April ,with Colm back tonight ,we have a full panel to choose from.
Shields should be okay for next week.We need him.Donnacha should be fit too.

Ratings

O halloran-superb,varied,kickouts brillantly,and made a super save at a cruical time.Top keeper,getting better with every game.A real leader.We had great keepers,in Morgan,kerins,quirke.O halloran set to join them.

galvin -dodgy start ,but i felt he against mcneamon was beginning to settle

Cadogan-supereb,fast,tenacious,dominant,real presence,grew in after that dodgy 20 minutes to have a blinder.I said it here many times,vital to cork season this year.All star potential.

Dorman shouldnt have started at corner back-wouldnt judge him on tonight.

Loughrey-superb,grew in to the game,superb range of kick passing,and great leadersip.Beginning to look more on the ball-head isnt down as much-i said sexton,o sullivan had to coach that out of him.I noticed huge improvement tonight.

Clancy thundered in to the game,broke the tackle constanly,beautful kick passing,real purpose ,and intent on the ball,defended superbly in the second half when the need was greatest .A huge difference in that unit,in what we had last year.
Intelligent and deceptive.As a unit,its loose,but as i said many times,it takes time to develop telephathy,cohesion ,and an understanding.

He is a starter with Loughrey in May,the other spot is with Dorman,brian driscoll,cahalane ,and Crowley.Jesus that serious,serious competiton.Oh and the other Tom Clancy.Five going for one position.Wow.
Like i said many times no need to move shieldly out.

Cronin-super,attacks the ball,real pace,intelligent ,guile ,and robust.
Back to the form of 2012 when he held Kilkenny in the u21 superbly.Form dipped last year.He is flying i .Was superb at corner back when he went back.Tends to attack ,a bit too much for a corner back.That can be curbed with good coaching.
We have a potential man marker in lynch mode.What would help him greatly is for he play at corner back for Nemo rangers regulary.Pole position for no .4.
Jamie Sul to come in,and i still believe Galvin has the talent.We have real strength in an aera that was weak .



Walsh-very good,yes could do better,but considering gould was woeful ,and he was a one man show,really began to limit Mccauley in the second half.
Kicked some great ball, had some poor kicks,a work in progress,but getting there.A real hunger,and drive he had.If he had a partner,he would be immense

gould-said tonight was d day.He was woeful,didnt get stuck in,game bypassed him,for long periods,got a trade mark one point,but for a lad around since 2005,not doing enough.Had more than enough chances.At midfield or half back,did not do enough.

Deane,and laoire have, to get time now.I would drop gould from the panel.One good game,then he has a bad game.We need conisitentyg


O rourke-didnt score but done everything else.Trenmendous engine,stamina,and great vision,made great scores.Covered every blade of grass.Superb game.


Collins-a diamond of a player.Superb run and ofload for hayes splendid goal.He linked attack and defence,tracked back ,and some wonderful diagnial balls he kicked to the forwards.Getting better with every game.Not a midfielder though.


Kerrigan-said here he had talent,and he had it all,but it was up to him ,and he had to show a desire,work ethic,and lead the line and get involved more.I said it had to be laid on the line for him in this game,last chance saloon.We all knew he had the talent.

What a performance.Man of the match.He ran himself in the ground,always demaned the ball.Helped defence numerous time.Worked as hard of the ball as on it.That defines a player.
It defined him tonight.A real force in that form.He needs to show that consistenty in every  game.Tonight should be the day he turned a corner.An all star ,if he matches the temaparment with hes super natural abilty.Hes pace and angles of running were sensasional ,would get run at outside centre for ireland,he was that good .


Goulding,superb,flawless from placed ball,got through an amount of work of the ball and won a lot of ball and created a lot.


Hurley was superb in the ist half,two superb points,great goal chance,great save by cluxton.
He is superb,in hes athleticsim,and hes pace.Yes he faded in the second half,but hes young ,and a certain starter in may.

Hayes-the best til last.I have criticised him many times,and every time ,as clearly seen by posts,never questioed hes talent,i always knew he was talented.


It is hes attuide ,and work ethic and showing for the ball in big games,i have always criticised and doubted and stand by those games i have as ,a player of hes standard ,he should be after 7 years making a mark i always said.
Tonight he was outstanding,he demanded the ball,and from the ist minute,he was up for the game.1-3 in the ist half was superb.I am delighted he done it ,as im a cork fan at the end of day ,and when he does well,cork do well.

People may feel,i want these lads to do bad.Rubbish.

People know here by the amount of games ,u21,minor,challenge etc,i have one love Cork Gaa.I want as i have always said the best for cork.I dont do happy go lucky ,i judge on what i see ,not what a guy has the talent to do,but doesnt.

Tonight I couldnt fault hayes attuide,hunger or desire.He was superb.
He must do that in every game.Not a goal and 3,but that same hunger and work ethic.He has the talent,so its no excuse when he doesnt do it .
I Had said he was the weakest player i felt in the team picked,he was one of the strongest with man of the match kerrigan.
Id say kerrigan got the man of the match as he played a whole game by the pundits.


He deserves to start against Derry.He must with the competion in that front six be consistent though.Two back to back game,is what i expect.
Im not being harsh.I expect the same from kerrigan.He cant like any player rest on hes laurels ,and
Play good only in some games.

He took the goal very well.He had the inexpierenced jorge in real trouble.After a poor game and being sent of against kerry,jorge, i doubt will get much more games with Gavin.


He worked hard of the ball.Cooper held him in the second half,but i wouldnt blame him for tiring,a frentic pace of a game.

I wouldnt say he is  starter yet.Goulding ,and hurley are automatic.
Colm ,no football in a year,two super points.If o Neill gets back to form,he would have to start.

Donnacha,and hayes ,and Hodnett in 3 games ,a real satement of intent are all vying for spots on the bench.Donncha has never let cork down in big games. Has to be a sub.
I would say it is between him and hodnett for a sub place.
Vaughan is in the fray at half forward.Maceoin ,is a savage talent and the u21 game is a good game to judge him.


Kevin Crowley-it was asked how good was he during the week.I said then,the nearest cork have to ciaran sullivan and to a tomas o se .
He is blessed with a natural,intelligence,and deep understanding at just 19 that many wouldnt believe.

Everyone knows i have been hes biggest fan ,for a year now,still maintain should have started the u21s last year.Saw him as a 15 year old with Milstreet,you just knew he had it.

Against kerry he was superb ,in hes cameo against kerry with a slendid goal.
Has pace,temparment ,and superb vision to see a pass ,many cant even contemplate.He is so timid looking,you would say jesus,a boy against men.I said it here during the week ,the real deal.
I wasnt afraid when he came on but excited and exurbated by the fact a star ,was in the making.To make a debut after 20 min,in Croke park,under lights,and to play a great game,always showed for the ball,used it intelligenty,defended very well,attacked with purpose,he was sublime,imperious,wonderful,so much guile and elgance .


He can and will only get better.He was at fault with the goal chance people say,i dont blame him.Ist game,the fact he got in the position,had the guts,and innovation to go up there must be applaued.


And hey you thought that was good.Every kid should watch that piece,where mccaffery as a fast as a greyhound had a start on him.Tearing down on goal.Yet crowley reeled him in,and Mccaffery is a big fish,a super player ,but Crowley punched a certain point away.
Wonderful determination,Desire,and focus,and sheer wil not to give up a lost cause.A defining moment in a game,that they are won and lost on.


Folks,i said after Clare last year ,Seamus Harnedy ,A star was born.
A star was born tonight in Crowley.
Never gave a way a bad pass in the corner.
A key player at u21 on the 12th and next year again u21.He should be full back in that game,cork beat kildare 3-12 to 4-7,in a u21 challenge game recently,there is serious problems at full back in that team.

Crowley is the best option in that u21 game,as jack savage could be full forward.


Hodnett -superb.Thats why i wanted the man to start.Real energy,two excellent points,taking to the stage like a duck to water.I said he had talent.He has lots of it.

Colm o Neill.I said i wouldnt judge the lad ,if he had ten wides.He hasnt played in a year at any level.What a player,what a man.
Could retire in the morning,owes cork football nothing.We owe the man everything.I said that thursday.


And tonight when i cried a tear to see this God ,legend ,as a man and a gaa player that,faced advertisy 3 times,and came out smiling ,just play was enough.He got some roar from the dubs,credit due,and cork when he graced croker.


I was saying,easy does it Colm.Jeus,unreal,two super points,breathtaking,my god that one by the sideline was as good as Donnachas one in 2010, or shea fahys gem in as tight an angle,oppoiste end of the field in 90.
The dubs applauded it and walking out ,all the talk was Colm o neill.
Thank you lad,what a player.
Joe brolly im sure and christy o connor ,will do a splendid piece on him in the coming weeks.

An inspiration to the Gooch,3 times he was knocked down,3 times he got back up.Better than rocky.
You couldnt script it ,tonight.Lads money cant buy the eurphoia from tonight.I want this night to last forever .O neill made it magical.

An all star,the only fear he stays injury free.

Sullivan,driscoll,deane came on too late to rateg.but all wdnrked hard for that time.

What was great was we went four points down,never pancked,never went back to old habits.We stayed directly to the game plan.We went ahead then,then we were level.We never panciked,again had the bottle ,grit,heart and characther to be bold to not settle for the draw,or moral victory ,but went for the juglar,moved the ball at pace,attacked,and o neill super winnes,wonderfully created,and then it was rounded of by the tenacity and anticipation  of hodnett ,who showed wonderful skill and compusure to finish of the job.


That comes from management, and that spirit also and Cuthbhert deserves with hes team a lot of credit for tonight.


A work in progress,and they will be defeats along the way,but in the 1st real test i have seen a lot of posives ,and that gives and creates a belief we are moving in the right direction.That will get you through the bad days when they happen.
A job very well done,and Derry next,a very different type of challenge,but we have huge confidence heading in to it .