Cork GAA Discussion Thread

As long as we are paying off the Pairc Ui Chaoimh debt, then adequately funding the preparation of our intercounty teams will be an issue. We did win a minor and u20 all Ireland double in hurling last year, and we did it in football in 2019 as well. So that suggests that we are doing fine at underage level imo. However financial issues had nothing to do with Hoggie being left on the bench yesterday, it had nothing to do with Cork missing easy frees point and goal chances. It had nothing to do with Cork handing Galway two goals on a plate either!

Galway did win a senior all Ireland five years ago to be fair. They probably have still underachieved though, considering the amount of underage all Ireland they've won in recent years. At minor level in particular Galway have totally cleaned up in the last few years.

Traditionally Cork do win senior all Irelands, on the back of winning them at underage level.

Please tell me this has not been seriously mooted? Sully is as thick as two planks. I've not heard one positive thing he has brought to the table in regards to the Cork setup. Hopefully next year he will be back writing for some rag or doing PaddyPower ads. Great servant but not management material.

I've said previously my pick is Pat Ryan / Wayne Sherlock, although I'm not sure about Ryan as he may have health issues that will prevent him taking on that level of commitment.

I'd take your arm off for BOC at this stage.

If you don't know the value of leaders in a competitive team environment, it's pretty obvious you never played.

Cork have failed against opposition they were even with, (Waterford in 17, Limerick in 18, last Saturday etc) when they had the winning of the game.

A strong leader group would look to correct that, primarily through an honest dialogue with themselves and also with management.

If a young Donal Og, Brian Corcoran etc were playing now do you not think they would have got it sorted? Most of that sorting is done off the field.

It's easy blame Kingston etc, but this bunch are missing something which will need key additions to sort.

Tradition is meaning nothing of late..Limerick think nothing about what Cork won in the seventies..

Funny you mention a young Brian Corcoran. He gave most of the 1990s playing in teams that made the current crew look very promising. What exactly was he "leading" then? As for Dónal Óg.......some of his leadership was more trouble for Cork than it was worth. Arguably they are still recovering from the sh1te he stirred. He led bitterness and division. Not sure that helped.

Let's get real here. Cork need to get proper players, All Ireland level players, in several positions. Really technically excellent hurlers rather than some of the ones on display at the weekend overhitting passes and taking stupid pot-shots for goal from point-scoring distances. Ludicrous stuff.

You don't see Tony Kelly or TJ Reid having to roar and shout and berate colleagues to be important players. They function as good hurlers full stop. Cork need to forget about the pseudo management "leadership" codology as if some big mouth is going to make all the difference to Cork. Get good players who can do their job without running around at a hundred miles an hour tippy tappying their way through every game and disappearing when it matters. These are the guys people call leaders. Not some mouth almighty who wants to be the centre of attention.

A team that wins an All Ireland will have 5/6 players who are best in their positions in the country, maybe 8/9 of them in the conversation. Cork don't have one. And they have several more years in the wilderness ahead of them. Blowing on and mansplaining about "leadership" and how if you don't know what it is if you haven't played on a team is just bluster as if you are a cross between Richie McCaw and Martin Luther King yourself. Absolute self-deluding nonsense. Get a few hurlers that don't melt like ice cream when the heat is on. The "leadership" laurels can be awarded after the fact.

If it wasn't for people like Donal Og, then 1999, would have been Corks most recent all Ireland in hurling. Inept administration under Frank Murphy and politics/ club bias, have been the cause of Corks problems since 1990. People like Tony Maher were pleading back in the late 80's, for the county board to invest money into the underage coaching at schools level. That last strike was very bitter alright, but once Gerald McCarthy accepted the county boards offer of another term, then trouble was inevitable sadly.

That most recent strike did leave a bitter aftertaste, that took about a decade to get over! The hurlers are in the county, but we need a new manager at senior level to get the best out of them. Kieran Kingston is a very nice man, he's a great Cork hurling man, but as a manager of our senior hurlers he has been pretty poor imo.

It's not just Frank, the nodding dogs that served with him on that county board were also a part of the problem.

Gasser still that you expound on what constitutes "leadership" (this is beginning to sound like one of these Sports Leadership seminars) yet if a player cannot hit an accurate 60 yards pass its someone else's fault because his "head isn't right". Probably the fault if some guy on the County board 30 years ago. The culture of excuses would be okay if we weren't being lectured about leadership from the other side of the mouth.

Cork did win an underage all Ireland double last year, so there obviously is something to work with there. I hate singling out names but Conor Lehane for example, i remember at one time thinking that was going to be Corks next superstar forward, but he sadly never did become that star forward.

I think Hoggie still has a few more years left though, and i also think Seamus Harnedy still has something to offer as well. We have to keep on the best of what's there on the current panel. I don't think it's a good idea to throw all of the all Ireland winning u20's in at once.

Tony Considine has had bit of a pop at the players in the Echo, and i fully agree with him. He say's that Cork overdo the short passing rubbish, and that apart from Damian Cahalane and Ciaran Joyce our defence lacks toughness.

https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40899146.html

A book or documentary on the strikes would be great now, 20 years on since the first one, and with so many of the protagonists still high profile. Maybe some day...

I think that’s a stinker of a decision by the county board personally

There hasn’t been any positive progress at all for Cork under Kingston and he’s hardly gonna change things too drastically for next year

Run to the final last year was a handy one for them (final embarrassing where they got shown up big time)

Nice bit of luck to get out of Munster this year with Waterford falling apart (albeit you can only beat what’s in front of you)

Embarrassed against Galway to be honest, and even in victory, it probably would’ve been a tough watch against Limerick in the semi

I think Cork need something completely fresh and it’s needed now. Not sure how fans will react