Cork GAA Discussion Thread

On The Line: Dónal Óg Cusack On Hurling
Wednesday, July 24, 2013

When people say, may you live in interesting times, I'm never sure if they mean it as a blessing or as a curse!
There is an undercurrent of malice in a lot of what gets written these days and a decline in ethics in some quarters.
This is an interesting summer for the GAA. Good games. Good weather. Good final chapters to look forward to. All blessings.
It's interesting too in another sense which may be more of a curse than a blessing. The relationship between the media who cover the games and those who cross the sideline to actually play them is declining in a way which should alarm everybody on either side of the divide.
Last season finished with the replayed All Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Galway and that great event was marked by a spurious attempt to turn a harmless remark in a long interview given by Joe Canning into a blood feud with Henry Shefflin. I'm sure Henry, if he read the original piece, knew the spirit in which Joe was speaking. I'm sure Joe's conscience was clear. But he didn't need the bother, the phone calls, the talk. Neither did Anthony Cunningham or Galway. So why would Galway players make themselves available again?
What inter county player didn't look at that debacle and wonder why he should ever give an interview even to a journalist he knows and trusts if other journalists are going to lift lines out of context and turn them into 'controversies'.

This summer you can smell the distrust. In the last few weeks things have gotten even worse. My friend Sean Óg, who has given as much to Cork hurling as just about anybody I know, is quoted as saying that there are fellas playing for Cork now who come from clubs that Sean Óg has never heard of.
I read that first and grinned. Anybody who knows the man would know that this was a little joke and not a little bitterness. First, Sean Óg is playing hurling and football for Na Piarsaigh since the time he could shave. He has been everywhere and played everywhere. Second, there isn't a club, a school or a crossroads in the county of Cork where he hasn't presented medals or given talks or taken coaching sessions on his own time, and free gratis may I add.
Spend an hour with Sean Óg anywhere. It's impossible not to experience a person coming up and reminding him of the time he visited this hamlet and that village and Sean Óg saying things like "Oh yeah, are you the cousin of the man who wouldn't go on in the junior semi final in 1976 because he had chicken pox."
Sean Óg has clocked up more miles on the highways and byways than a rural farms inspector but the man was left twisting in the wind.
This week things got worse. I was out to dinner with a couple of past and present intercounty players on Friday night. Part of the conversation involved media, journalism, punditry, and entertainment versus analysis etc. On Saturday morning one of them sent me a link from a newspaper article saying ‘this sums it up’. I read of an unnamed "former star" being quoted on the woes of Cork hurling.
This courageous mystery man insulted Bernie O'Connor, John Allen, Donal O'Grady and pretty much every club coach in Cork with an unchallenged assertion about where Cork hurling had gone wrong. The ludicrous point he made wasn't even put to Bernie, John or Donal for response. Is this a new low? Is this the future? Slating people anonymously? I thought that only happened in chat rooms, not newspapers.
Kieran McGeeney waded in this week giving expression to that old maxim of the dressing room that there are a lot of former players turned pundits who are far braver with a pen or microphone in front of them than they ever were with a number on their back. Kieran was a unique and spiky man as a player and he is the same as a manager. He's also a phenomenally dedicated and interesting man. You can see though that there are people out there happy to give him a kicking and take cheap shots when the chance comes. Kieran deserves better.

Anybody who has made it to an intercounty dressing room as a player or a manager has a lifetime worth of home truths, disappointments and droppings for big games under their belt. They aren't looking to be treated with kid gloves. Nor though are they £200,000 a week strikers who haven't scored in months and spend their evenings in nite clubs with badly spelled names.
Criticism is fine. There is an undercurrent of malice in a lot of what gets written these days and a decline in ethics in some quarters. GAA players and teams could be more open. That openness demands responsibility from journalists though.
There is no point in sitting down and arguing about whose fault this impasse between the media and the dressing room is. We need to get together and agree that it is doing the GAA no good, it is doing players no good, it is doing media no good , it is doing sponsors no good and it is doing fans no good. We need to find a better way, otherwise the toxic world of the premiership and the tabloids is what we will end up with.
We just have to look at rugby. The game has done a brilliant job of selling itself to Ireland in the last ten years. Absolutely brilliant. Players are available. They accept media as part of the package. The big picture. The upshot of all that is that if you sat a roomful of kids down and showed them mugshots of the Irish rugby team and mugshots of the Kilkenny hurling team, one of the greatest sides ever to play the greatest game, I have no doubt that they would all recognise Henry Shefflin because he has always been media friendly but overall they would know more rugby players. That hurts. I've even heard of clubs getting rugby players in as celebrities to present end of year medals. Foot, meet Mr. Gun. Fire!
I played on a Cork side filled with big characters who seldom minded talking to the media. People had their opinions on us, they loved us or hated us but they knew the characters. The Rock, Corcoran, the twins Ben and Jerry, Sean Óg, John Gah, Joe Deane, Setanta when he was with us. They were big recognisable characters. They played with some fellas who preferred to keep themselves to themselves and that was grand but the game needs faces and stories that people can identify with.

Interesting times. Interesting times. Sometime soon we need to get back to basics. We have reached the stage where it is just so much easier for teams to give zero access (or limited access that sees the player getting a few bob and the media outlet mentioning some product that the player is wearing in exchange for that limited access) In that environment of zero access and co-operation standards are bound to fall and the space devoted to quality coverage of the GAA in the media will fall away.
There is a big picture. A sport with recognisable characters and personalities brings people through the gates and sponsors into the ring. It lifts the sport. You look at television these days and the only GAA players featuring on quality ads are the Gooch and Henry who have been open and talkative for many years. That's good for Henry and the Gooch but it is good for the game too.
Imagine now that you are a publisher or an advertiser and looking to do a national project with a high profile current GAA player. Take Henry, the Gooch, Paul Galvin and maybe a few more out of the equation. How many instantly recognisable faces are you left to choose from?
This has been a great and interesting summer but some of the fun has been replaced by paranoia and bitterness. We in the GAA owe it to the games we love and to the paying customers and the next generation to do better, and the media owes it to its own ethics to try harder to be trusted.
We should be smarter than this. Media can be interesting. And not necessarily a curse. Just ask Drico or Paulie or ROG or Jonny or Simon…
This is the latest of Dónal Óg Cusack's exclusive 'On The Line' hurling columns in 2013, which will feature on GAA.ie throughout the summer.

munsterlegend wrote: »

I agree Walsh should be midfield instead of o neill and paddy Kelly in from the start at centre forward. Kerrigan is a good sub to introduce for tired legs later in the game. Worry about our back division particularly Cahalane and canty. Cadogan hopefully is in a better state of fitness than he was in killarney.

Alan o Connor is not past his best and I expect him to have a big game on Saturday.

Can't see apart from kickouts why o Halloran was dropped.

If Walsh was at midfield ,and kelly or collins at Cf,then we could get away with Canty at CB.

As either one could play a sweeper role ahead of him,and can counter attack with pace,play a quater back type role.
Walsh has the pace to stop Flynn running through from midfield.

You would have then one of Kelly,or Collins at Cf with O Rourke who could move the ball fast in the half forward line.

Cahalane onces,he's confidence is okay after the last day,and is left at half back should be fine.

Canty is a much better fit than,say Kissane or O Leary,and onces he is protected offers leadership and defensive organistion,allowing Loughrey to bomb forward.

The problem is the way the team is picked,he could be exposed and isolated.
I hope you are right about AOC ,but i have not seen him play a good game since 2011,and even them Aidan o Shea destroyed him at Croke park.

Conroy and Flynn are very mobile players.

Walsh at Cf is a conservative choice.

When you think of players like Joe Kavanagh,Tompkins,Conor Mccarthy,etc,who brought style and creativity when they played for Cork,this shows how far off Walsh is.

We are not short players at CF,and it just shows everything wrong with Counihan as a manager to pick him their based on a 20 minute cameo against a tired Kerry team.

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Walsh should not be played at CF, plain and simple. We have far better options there and he would be better suited to being the athletic style midfielder that we need.

Exactly,why have Walsh at CF when we have better options.
Why choose silver,when you can have Gold.

ShamoBuc wrote: »

One thing about Walsh - he needs 3 or 4 kicks at goal to score - he must have a crooked leg! He needs to be at midfield. I wondered if he would be played at full forward at some stage of his career, think he would be far better suited there if he is not to be at midfield. Donaghy doesn't score much there but he creates an outlet with his layoffs.

I agree.Im haunted by the miss ten yards out in front of goal in killarney a few years ago,it was easier score.

Hes conversion rate has not improved the last 3 years,their is no reason to believe it will further improve in the future.

munsterlegend wrote: »

I agree that Mayo match in 2011 was a shambles and Cork were poor and lethargic all over the pitch. AOC had a great second half against Kerry this year? His confidence will have taken a major boost from that performance.

Its just impossible to know what team will start and wouldn't be one bit surprised if either one or both of collins and cahalane didn't start. a least it keeps the opposition guessing as well i suppose.

i agree,he was good against Kerry,but a better judge will be in Croke park, rather than a 20 minute cameo against a tired Maher.

He was poor even last year against Donegal,where Croke Park exposes,he's mobility.

I think that team will start.If kissane replaces Cahalane,after naming Cahalane to start,and the treatment the last day,then Counihan is a disgrace.

D'Agger wrote: »

Read the thread before shooting from the hip I'd say



I think it's a better team overall than the one they fielded against Kerry.

Strong full forward line although I always saw Sheehan as a half forward so strange to see him in the full, although no doubt he'll cause trouble as evidenced by his introduction against Kerry

Midfield is interesting, I assume Walsh will be there for long direct kicks through the middle with O'Neill and AOC pulling either side of the pitch - giving loads of space for runs off Walsh from the wing forwards and backs, if Galway fill that space then Cork can work it towards the two lads on the wing. That's my guess anyway

It is better than Killarney,but that would not be hard.I do not think this team would beat Dublin or Mayo though.

I agree with most of that,espiceally sheehan.He is our best half forward.

I hope walsh is a third midfielder,and not an orthodox CF.

You play Club football in Cork,what do make of Barry O Driscoll?Do you think he deserves a panel place?

Amprodude wrote: »

Thats the best we can produce for KK. We hope for the best.

Yeah it is,starting wise,glad to see their not doing a Denis Walsh in it,and trying to go toe to toe with KK physically like in 2010.Coughlan deserves to start.
Lets pray for the sun now.

Christ ,we are weak on the bench defensively.

Eoin keane ahead of Colm spillane and Patrick o mahony,poor call.

Both players have Ger fitz to thank,for being played out of position and made look bad.

Cussen and Naughten FFS.

Peter O brien was outstanding last friday night.

God help us,if O neill doesnt last a full game.It means Killan Murphy comes on.

Hes grand,but what if Mcdonnell is in trouble.Eoin Keane is worth a look at next year,but for sunday a huge mistake.

Amprodude wrote: »

Naughton is pacey and hard to follow for defenders but is headless at times and too often hits terrible wides when Cork need a much needed score. He might be needed next day out though for his pace. If one thing we might have an advantage over KK is our pace. We will test them there but our physcality is where we will lack big time.

I agree,skill wise he is the best player on the panel.But compare him to harndey.

A huge difference,in attuide and not afraid of the rough stuff.Harnedy is only 23,hes third game,but he will handle himself a lot better sunday.

Naughton has always been afraid outside hes comfort zone.He went on trial at Nottingham forest,but was homesick in a month.

Naughton was better than he is now in 2010,yet bar hes usal point per game,didnt hurl a ball after,and was taken off against KK.

Murphy,Delaney,tyrell,hogan or joyce will give him one hard shoulder and that is it end of naughton.

Oh my god,if tommy walsh gets a hold of him.

People think,you need to big men to compete with KK.You dont,but you need agressison,heart,character,b***s of steel to survive,all of which Naughton or cussen dont have.

Take a look at Kk,four of their 6 forwards under 6ft,but it would take a train to knock them.And they would still get up afterwards.

Take seanie mcgrath.Like Naughton,yellow helmet,fast and the ball is glued to the hurley.

But he had agression and could take punishment.In 1999,it was so wet,the ducks woudn't even come out,but Mcgrath took some punisment and in the rain,and got 3 vital points.

Naughton bar the 2006 cameo and the odd game against Tipp and Galway,has been poor for Cork.

What i say may seem harsh,but it is true.
He would not make the KK intermediate team.

What is the weather forecast for early afternoon Sunday?

Juliet Murphy is back with the Ladies Football.

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Great news. She might be the difference this year!

Could very well be.I'm suprised but glad she came back so soon.RG15 may be able to shed some light on it.