Cork GAA Discussion Thread

To the guys up to scratch where do you think each team, in each grade will come? I know we are 5 months from championship, but be interested to see where ye think we could go in each this year.

MENS
Hurling
Senior; I think we slightly overacheived last year. Maybe unlucky not to win Munster, but sending off in Semi for Dublin swung it our way.
Can see us getting knocked out between QF or Semi.

Football
Senior; I think we might be in for a poor year from footballers. I can even see us missing out on QF trip in August. Dont like saying it.

WOMENS
Hurling
Will be there or thereabouts I think but from what I saw still 2-3 players away from AI material

Football
AI champs again. Their hunger and desire has not went astray and don't see any reason for it to change this year.

You can add in Minor and u21 levels or others if ye like. Feel free to do so. Not up to speed on underages so why I left them out. I'd be only guessing.

What's the story with your man Denis O'Sullivan from Ballinascarthy, when can he play for Clon?

windy shepard henderson wrote: »

the football one is tricky i expected more form cork last year after the deacent league run they had,

but i would be very surprised if cork are not back in the all ireland hurling final this year, very unlucky not to win it last year in the first game against us and were next to impossible to beat the second day , the stand out for me was the performance against kilkenny in the quarter final double header that day in thurles i honestly taught ye would kick on and win it from there

Galway were unlucky not to win it the year previous but went completely off the boil last year. I'd be very surprised if Cork got to the all ireland again but then again with JBM in charge you never know

Cork Colleges final on Friday night in CIT.

St, Brogans Bandon vs Colaiste Ghobnathan in the C final at 5.45

DLS Macroom vs Colaist Choilm Ballincollig in the A 'Simcox' final at 7.15

Would expect Brogans and Macroom to win these games. Macroom are Corn Ui Mhuiri level while Colaiste Choilm are not and Macroom have the quarter final of the Corn Ui Mhuiri against IS Killorglin coming up shortly also

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

To the guys up to scratch where do you think each team, in each grade will come? I know we are 5 months from championship, but be interested to see where ye think we could go in each this year.

MENS
Hurling
Senior; I think we slightly overacheived last year. Maybe unlucky not to win Munster, but sending off in Semi for Dublin swung it our way.
Can see us getting knocked out between QF or Semi.

Football
Senior; I think we might be in for a poor year from footballers. I can even see us missing out on QF trip in August. Dont like saying it.

WOMENS
Hurling
Will be there or thereabouts I think but from what I saw still 2-3 players away from AI material

Football
AI champs again. Their hunger and desire has not went astray and don't see any reason for it to change this year.

You can add in Minor and u21 levels or others if ye like. Feel free to do so. Not up to speed on underages so why I left them out. I'd be only guessing.

Mens football-compare our management set up to Dublin ,Tyroyne,Kerry ,Donegal even Fermanagh have pete mcgrath two time winning all ireland manager ,and got down u21 final 2009.have a proven set up te don't.
Meath have a superb manager in Mick o dowd ,playing fast ,hard,old style meath football,and are a year ahead of cork in terms of a game plan,and I wouldnt fancy meeting our bogey team in Croke Park.


The one positive is ,we are in a Munster final ,and if we loose just have one game to an all ireland quater final,it depends on the draw though.
Due to a very much unproven management level,Cuthbherts club record is poor not just with Bishoptown ,but with a much fancied Ballyclough in 2005,i think,they were beaten an a semi final at junior ranks.

The failure to include Deane,the failure to realise dualism is a dissaster waiting to happen ,and the fact john hayes is seen as an answer for cork ,and john mcloughlin is on the panel despite being poor last year,does not inspire me.

Cork to be beaten in the quaterfinals,and depending on the draw may not even make that far.

U21 football-like I said in another post,a great chance of winning ,but such is the quailty of. Tipp,and kerry getting out of munster is any of them 3 teams.

Minor football,a kind draw ,may due to the round robin get to an all ireland quater final,won't win it or go further,as while the talent is there,the wrong man is in charge.

Junior football,as the fact we have to field a new team ,we are hindered before a ball is kicked,beaten by kerry in munster


Senior hurling

To make a realistic assesment we have to see who and what the 2014 panel is.
To have guys like cussen,naughton,white,etc wont't inspire confidence.Spillane,nagle,alan cadogan ,must be on it.


The fact they see dualism as a realistic option and cadogan as an option at 3 or 6 is a worry.The potential is there with the right panel to find a 3 and 6,a partner for kearney ,as lorchan is not a midfielder,Clare twice proved that,and if the right men are found we could do very well.

Mcdonnell,patrick o mahony,shane o neill,and brian murphy are not the answer at full back.

U21 hurling,the talent is there,but due to an proven inept manager in 3 years at intercounty hurling ,we won't beat a strong,well coached waterford team with peter queally,and we will be doing well to be competive in walsh park.

Intermediate team to win Munster and have a real tilt at the all ireland.

Minor hurling,a top class management set up,complimented by a serious group of talented hurlers to really give a great show in the semi against a likely limerick side.
As I said,i saw limerick train last night ,have seen them several times already and with hurlers like ,tom morrisey,barry nash,ta touche cosgrave,cian and ronan lynch etc,they are a fantastic team,have about ten of last year with huge expierence.They would have home advantage also.


If cork had a full strength squad for the game we could win,it will be a titantic battle though,as Limerick are tipped by many to win the all ireland.They tend to do not as well with such high expectation though.


The ladies may if a few retire be under transition but if caoimhe creedon joined up they will be there or there abouts.With eammon ryan staying for another year they certainly have a chance but juliet such a great player,is understandably a huge loss this year.

Kilkenny Starting again for dublin in a second string side.He wont be hurling that for sure.

D'Agger wrote: »

That's the thing - you could get some second season syndrome from Cork this year - that or they might just fall short of elevated expectations from reaching the final this year.

On the flip side of that, the confidence instilled in such a young group of players by getting to an All Ireland final, could allow them to push on and make them strong contenders once again this year.

Even as a Kerryman with a Limerick father, I wouldn't mind seeing Cork in the mix again, always good for the championship

The key to avoiding second season syndrome,is to avoid a stale lethargic syndrome in team ,and the key to avoiding that will be introducing fresh faces ,that bring a hunger to the set up,increase competition within the squad ,and thus most importanly get rid of some of deadwood on the panel that are not up it .



In relation to kerry Hurling,interestingly will be the progress they can make under the stewardship of eammon kelly and horgan of tippeary and the input brendan cummins makes,he is involved also.
A good set up there it seems.

THE Mcgrath Cup semifinal Sunday at 2pm ,with Cork v UL, in Mallow is the first time both sides have met since 2009 in the final in Pairc u Rinn,Cork won 1-13 to 0-6,and not contary to what was reported in the Paper tonight ,in that the last Cork -Ul encounter was in the 2007 semifinal ,when Cork won 3-22 to 0-4 in Pairc UI Rinn.

That final in 2009 that Cork won has  links with Sunday on both sides of the line in that  Eoin Sexton now a selector,and Fintan Gould who played centre forward and got two points ,were on that Cork team.


The Colleges entered the Mcgrath Cup in the mid 2000s ,and Ul's record is they have won won 6 out of 14 games,Cork since 2000 have won 18 out of 21 games aproxiatemely.

It is hard to do an exact preview when we don't really know what team UL will field and understandably so it could change up to that morning of the game in that,academic commitments may and rightfully so take priority,players that even played Sunday may not play this week ,as Intercounty managers may want to limit the involment of certain players with the league around the corner,or even Liam Kearns may not have a total focus on this with a big game against Queens around the corner.

Information opens up the world of possibiles ,so as the information on Ul is uncertain ,in that many different possibites may unfold.
I will base my assement of Sunday's game ,on the basis Ul field the strongest line up.Obivously if there is changes ,it may mean a weaker challenge is forthcoming from them.


Corks have expierence in Ken O Hallorhan in goal ,and is a solid keeper and now Quirke who was vastly underated ,could step from he's shadow and create he's own legacey.Pryce is an able replacement for Sunday if the need arises.

The big worry is the full back line.Very much inexpierenced ,with Clancy ,not a fullback ,and the question marks are,has he the discipline and organistion to man that aera,and not only contain James O'Donoghue an All Star ,who got 1-10 last Sunday ,and three points of a much more expierenced Cork full back line in Killarney in the summer,and no less than an all star nominee even though he was injured ,in Eoin Cadogan.


The other point to remember is Noel Galvin is trying to cement a place at corner back that is up for grabs on the team ,and John Mcloughlin as has been proven at Intermediate for Kanturk ,and at intercounty for Cork ,against Kerry in tralee in the league last year is far from watertight.

I can justify why and I do agree the management were correct in picking Halloran in goal,as he has a bit of expierence and can bring that ,which will be much needed in the sense,Mcloughlin,and Galvin are inexpierenced ,and that will help Clancy in particular ,with Ken shouting the instructions.

If Ul ,start Ian Burke,Cadbury U21 player of the year last year,four points againtst Cork in the All Ireland Final,and Brian O Shea starts in the other corner that full forward line will score .

The Cork half back is strong,with Loughrey a powerful ball carrier,with the stamina of marathon runner ,and a player that is similar to John Miskella ,in that he loves to attack and drive forward at right half back.Fintan Gould ,brings pace,knowlege of this position ,and is a tough tackler and will know when to defend and attack.In fact many people would have maintained Gould ,if not at midfield ,this was an option ,that Counihan should have used him before.Of course he did,but threw him in at the deep end as a centre back aginst Donegal in 2012 semi final  that greatly backfired,as like the majority of what Counihan done in he's latter years ,he just made changes without any proper planning or thought process in to the decisons.Kevin O'Driscoll looked very good Sunday ,attacking wise ,two points ,but he was never tested in truth ,defensively.


If Ul go with Paul Whyte a star player with Waterford in that leading scorer in the County Championship when he was 17 and superb in a qualifer against Galway last year ,and if John O Rourke is moved out from the full forward line to where he is at most at home ,in the half forward line ,complimented by either Danny Neville ,James O Meara(injury permitting) or Eoghan O Connor of Offaly ,that is a solid line of intercounty players ,with a mixture of skill,wizardy ,pace,strength,and hard graft with ,in particular O'Rourke or O'Meara having the necessary attuide,and engine ,to track back and mark the Cork half backs when they bomb forward.

Whyte may be put on Loughrey,by both Kearns and Cuthbhert.Cuthbhert will want he's toughest back back in that unit to keep a track on Uls top gun ,while Kearns even if it is, at risk of Whyte being kept quiet,at least if Loughrey is on him ,it will keep him defensively minded and less likely to attack forward.

This could be fasinating,in who UL,who start,and what the match up's materilise in to.

Midfield,Cork have Micheal O Laoire ,a fabolus U21 in 2011,and superb in the U21 All Ireland Junior winning championship last year,forming a superb partnership with Munster Junior Player ,and A member of the Cork club team of the year ,on that junior team and Captain Ruairi Deane.

He's partner Sunday  is Andrew the Butcher O Sullivan.An Al Ireland junior and  winner on a few occassions and captained Cork in 2007 to win the U21 title  ,and with Cork seniors in 2008,and last year this is he's third coming.Has been exposed for a lack of pure footballing abilty at senior and pace on hard,fast ground ,he may survive Sunday against probably Phelim Mccugh of Leitrim ,but it is hard to see him starting the Championship.Played half forward last week.


Cork have ,Colm O'Driscoll ,Mark Sugre and Paul Kerrigan.A lot of pace,hard graft ,and creativity there.
Probably and again this is not a guarantee ,but a guess that the half back line for Ul, may feautre ,Tom Clancy ,Dessie Moyne ,both intercounty players ,but Moyne has a lot of expierence and like our own Loughrey,any half back that holds there own,in there cases they have excelled ,in the teak tough Ulster Championship,they deserve the utmost of respect.
Throw in luke Mulligan of Kerry ,and they have a solid line of defence,bv a platform to launch attacks and get fast ball in to a potentially lethal full forward line.
Sugrue has played U21 hurling and football ,Intermediate and Junior Football for Cork and is a fine talent with plenty of expierence in big games and was a minor with Cork in 2010 also.
He is a big game playes,superb against Tipp in Thurles in the football U21 final last year ,and made a big impact with a goal against Tipp in the U21 game,and that goal was one of the brightest points amid a dark,dark cloud ,on Cork hurling,despite it being a splendid warm eveining in thurles that night.
He has beautfiul,poise,balance,a lovely running stride in he rarely breaks stride and eats ground.
He's battle against the expierenced tough battle hardened Moyne will be great to watch and while moyne may come out on top,Sugrue could learn a lot from such an opponent.
Tom Clancy UL,may be the man to mark the blistering Kerrigan.Paul is now a very much expierenced player of this Cork team,and must show that.He always had pace,and tons of abilty ,but often lacked the consistenty ,and could be bypassed in games.He has all the attriubtes skill wise for the modern game.
He must combine that with attuide.
That charcterstic comes from within .He can't be thought it now.
He like Patrick Horgan done last year,needs to choose what that attuide will be.

Brian Cocorcan in the splendid "Every Single Ball"said you choose your attitude as a player.Pauls time starts Sunday.
Corks Colm O Driscoll,probably seen as the weakest of the Cork unit(does not mean he is a bad player)is up against Mulligan probably who may be seen in the same regard with Ul.


The Cork Full Forward Line of Daniel Goulding,Donnacha O Connor and John Hayes ,could be up against two lads with Intercounty expierence ,in David Dolan,a Mayo Minor ,who held Kyle Coney and James O'Donugouhe at minor ,and may be moved from half back to where he started last week to corner back,if Moyne starts in the half back Line .

Wille if he starts mark Goulding ,who seemed injured last week ,or mark Hayes remains to be seen.Goulding has the talent,and while some Cork fans think he is lazy at times,I think ,he is a super ,striker of the ball and was frustrated by the lack of ball he got under Counhihans regin,bar the 2009 semi final against Tyroyne where Cork played ,fast open,intelligent football and he was magnifcent that day .That was a joy to watch and showed how good that Cork team were.

Donnacha should have the cutness of he's Kerry Genes (father a kerryman)and the brains of a Cork man,and hes footballing abilty ,should make up for he's lack of pace.I have said every Cork player should have pace ,but Donnacha brings so much to the table,not only can he score but he brings others in to the game,holds up the ball well,and has leadership qualites he is a big player for Cork.
John Hayes ,is great to watch,no doubt when he is on form  and glides over the field,but what he must show us ,is can he dig deep,and if it is a wet heavy day,and he is getting little space ,can he when the need is greatest win he's own ball,work hard of the ball and be a match winner in big games like Colm O Neill and Brian Hurley can.
Time will tell.

On the bench Cork bar Kevin Crowley,Barry O Driscoll,Cork seem to be a bit lightweight,so it may be very much up to the 1st 15,to lay down a platform from where to launch a  second win in the Cuthbhert reign.
UL have Kinsale player Mark Eaton involved,and Daly,and Spillane of Kerry may feature.

Management is always a very important  piece in the jigsaw ,when doing a match preview.Liam Kearns won Limerick a Munster U21 title in 2000,and got to an All Ireland Final,the first time in there History  only to be beaten by a super Tyryone team coached by Mikey Harte  ,that had won a minor All Ireland ,and that won two in a row at U21,and most of the Tyryone team went to win at Senior,that is how good they were.

That was a fantastic achievement in the context of Limerck Football where it is a poor relation to Hurling in the County.He won Limerick 3 Mcgrath Cups,they have won just four in total since 1981.
He coached Aherlow to a Tippereary Senior County .
He coached Limerick seniors to beat Cork in Munster by ten points in 2003 down in Cork  ,and took Kerry to a replay in a Munster Final and done themselves Credit in both games with the Kingdom in 2004,and kerry won the All Ireland.
Yes with Laois it was not successful,but he's overall record is fantastic.

Corks main man,Brian Cuthbhert ,got Cork to a minor football final,and  he's Club record is a county semi final with Bishoptown.He has been involved in the overview of Cork Development Squad.


The Mcgrath Cup ,last won by Cork in 2012,and never won by a college team yet may not seem a huge competition in comparision to others.In fact since 1981,and its inception in to the game,no team ,Cork or Kerry that won it,won the All Ireland that year.Surely that trend won't last forever.
That is not to take away from what is a good competition ,and it does give you most days good prepartion for the league and is ideal to blood new players and blow of the Christmas Cowbebs ,and for Colledge teams a good run out for there panel in the lead up to the Sigerson.
Sunday has all the makings of a good game ,and if Cork can hold James O'Donughue they should win,as there is scoring in our front six,as they conceded four goals the weekend.At the same time ,they got 5 goals Sunday and could even be stronger up front.
Bring on Sunday .

Just on Ken in goal,my only question as im sick today and long posts are the last thing I have the mind to be typing.....

He's a fantastic shot stopper,but I worry about his kickouts,cant remember the last time I saw him kick with any accuracy or distance for that matter.

Blue Magic wrote: »

When is the Waterford Crystal tournament due to start? Early February I'd have thought...

Sunday.

thinkstoomuch1 wrote: »

Hope you recover lad

I agree ,that is an aera he must improve,howerer he was made the scapegoat ast year for midfield problems when playing walsh out of there didnt help and quirke had the same problems against the dubs.

Cheers lad!

Hmmmm yeah,even in League games though when the midfield was set up he seems to get his strategy all wrong. And he favours a short kick out wayyyy too much,often at times putting his own defence in all sorts of bother. He just doesnt seem to know what to do when faced with a kickout. Great man under a dropping ball or to stop a rasper,but kickouts will play a big part this year especially if we still have midfield issues.
Hope he improves,and fast!

corkrobinhood wrote: »

Just on Ken in goal,my only question as im sick today and long posts are the last thing I have the mind to be typing.....

He's a fantastic shot stopper,but I worry about his kickouts,cant remember the last time I saw him kick with any accuracy or distance for that matter.

He's well able to get distance, accuracy can always be improved on but distance has never been an issue for him

http://www.eveningecho.ie/2014/01/09/dual-players-cant-give-codes/

At last a great article with common sense prevailing.

thinkstoomuch1 wrote: »

http://www.eveningecho.ie/2014/01/09/dual-players-cant-give-codes/

At last a great article with common sense prevailing.

Whats your own opinion on the whole thing?

Mine would be let it up to each player to decide.

No man,woman or child should be stopped from taking part in any team sport if they so wish.
If a player feels that they themselves want to play both hurling and football,have something to contribute to a team,and can cope with the demands that playing for 2 seperate teams involves,then why stop them?