The New Cork Hurling Manager?

[bigboyfoolish]

The chances are Gerald Mac is probably done with the job.

The man looked very stressed out at times this year and probably feels it ain't worth it.

He's at the end of his two years anyway I think.

Just wondering who should get it?
Who will get it?

Who would other people want to get it..

Donal O'Grady would be the man for me but would never go back in methinks...

[Rebelred]

Donal will never go back. The man gave his time and it's over with. Cork hurling needs to move on now.

A fresh face would be good, somebody none of the players have worked with before.
Fresh ideas, new methods, enthusiasm and a willingness to try out new players in new positions. We've all seen what Sheedy has done with Tipp this year.
Justin McCarthy will never get it so lets rule that out aswell.
I'd also give the new man 3 years to rebuild, 2 years is short term and we'll need longer in my opinion.

[BlackAvon08]

To be honest if Donal O’Grady was interested I would have him back in a shot.

I know new faces can be a good thing but continuity ain’t a bad thing either – as in Cody with Kilkenny!!

Cody is a master tactician & motivator – we have seen that Donal is just as good in this regard. Donal never tied himself up in knots about whether we should play “long ball” or “running” games. He simply played a game to suit our players & the particular game in hand. The notable point is that the players had full confidence in their play & knew exactly what they were doing – this is in marked contrast to the last 2 years.

Donal is also a match for Cody's sheer bloody mindedness – he believes Cork should be winning the All Ireland every year!

The thing that really impressed me was his was his focus on the basic skills of hurling. The levels of skill displayed by the team during his time was awesome. We have gone seriously backwards in this regard since his departure.

[Rebelred]

To be honest if Donal O’Grady was interested I would have him back in a shot.

I know new faces can be a good thing but continuity ain’t a bad thing either – as in Cody with Kilkenny!!

Cody is a master tactician & motivator – we have seen that Donal is just as good in this regard. Donal never tied himself up in knots about whether we should play “long ball” or “running” games. He simply played a game to suit our players & the particular game in hand. The notable point is that the players had full confidence in their play & knew exactly what they were doing – this is in marked contrast to the last 2 years.

Donal is also a match for Cody's sheer bloody mindedness – he believes Cork should be winning the All Ireland every year!

The thing that really impressed me was his was his focus on the basic skills of hurling. The levels of skill displayed by the team during his time was awesome. We have gone seriously backwards in this regard since his departure.

I agree with you on all of these things, but the man himself has said many times that he will never go back, so we should be looking elsewhere for options

[diar2me]

To be honest if Donal O’Grady was interested I would have him back in a shot.

I know new faces can be a good thing but continuity ain’t a bad thing either – as in Cody with Kilkenny!!

Cody is a master tactician & motivator – we have seen that Donal is just as good in this regard. Donal never tied himself up in knots about whether we should play “long ball” or “running” games. He simply played a game to suit our players & the particular game in hand. The notable point is that the players had full confidence in their play & knew exactly what they were doing – this is in marked contrast to the last 2 years.

Donal is also a match for Cody's sheer bloody mindedness – he believes Cork should be winning the All Ireland every year!

The thing that really impressed me was his was his focus on the basic skills of hurling. The levels of skill displayed by the team during his time was awesome. We have gone seriously backwards in this regard since his departure.

Simple fact of the matter is that he won't be back as much as I'd like him to be. I agree with Rebelred. A new face could be the perfect potion but has to be picked carefully. Two years ain't enough either to build a team as I'm sure we are all aware we need to do. But the fact of the matter is we need someone really really good who knows the game inside out, to have any chance of taking on the cats again.

[Eoin]

Ger Loughnane.

[BangorFeen]

Ger Loughnane.
I like Gerlock as a Sunday Game pundit but I'm not sure I'd be mad enough to let the crazy bastard near the Cork hurlers ;)

[RonnyB]

Donal Og Cusack

[delzer]

ger cunningham

[bigboyfoolish]

Ger Loughnane.
You can rule him out straight off the bat.

Cork CB will NEVER give the job to someone from outside the County.

Ger Cunningham should be looked at.
Martin Bowen from Erins Own seems like a crafty bugger.
If Donal O'Grady was interested he should definitely be considered
and I'm not so sure if he will NEVER go back.

Justin would be a great fella I think to get on board as
a selector and coach.

Maybe not as the Banaisteoir. We neesd someone with a little more devil in them for Kilkenny.

What about Tomas Mulcahy? He's meant to be doing well with the Glen!

[bigboyfoolish]

I think if the Cork County Board had the best interests
of Hurling at hand then get some kind of dream team together and make a statement.

One thing that is glaringly apparent is this Kilkenny dominance
is not going anywhere. They have a constant stream coming on line
all the time. All of which are hungry and want to achieve success.

Plodding along with makeshift plans, cobbling teams together
with Mickey Mouse Management will no longer do.

[Rebelred]

I think if the Cork County Board had the best interests
of Hurling at hand then get some kind of dream team together and make a statement.

One thing that is glaringly apparent is this Kilkenny dominance
is not going anywhere. They have a constant stream coming on line
all the time. All of which are hungry and want to achieve success.

Plodding along with makeshift plans, cobbling teams together
with Mickey Mouse Management will no longer do.

no need for a dream team as such, all we need is a good coach who emphasises the basic skills and can work a system that suits the players available. Tomas Mul is doing just that with the Glen at present, not sure if the time is right for him with Cork though.

Mark Landers is a very good coach, has done a hell of alot with a young Killeagh side over the past year, and the UCC fitzgibbon team aswell.

[northmallexile]

Mark Landers is a very good coach, has done a hell of alot with a young Killeagh side over the past year, and the UCC fitzgibbon team aswell.

Landers is another one who has his issues with the County Board though, isn't he?

Jesus, it's the case for so many of them.

[Rebelred]

Landers is another one who has his issues with the County Board though, isn't he?

Jesus, it's the case for so many of them.

yep he does.
A new County Secretary would be nice too.
Sullys oul fella is in line to be the new Chairman/mouthpiece of the board, but we all know who the boss is.

[Eoin]

Landers is another one who has his issues with the County Board though, isn't he?

Jesus, it's the case for so many of them.

How are the county board still in place down there? everyone seems to have issues with them

[Rebelred]

How are the county board still in place down there? everyone seems to have issues with them

the only people who could do anything about it, the delegates, are scared stiff of the board (aka Frank). Frank wrote his own contract, so I'm not sure exactly what it would take to remove him.
I'd be all in favour of getting all clubs to change their delegates, but most won't do this. Cork is also the only County in Ireland where Junior clubs do not have delegates at County board meetings, instead, they are represented by their divisional board delegates, who vote as they wish without ever even consulting these Junior clubs. It's a farce of a regime to be honest.

[bigboyfoolish]

Yes but we shouldn't be too harsh on the County Board either.
No one would have thought Gerald mac would have got the job
after his sojurn down the Knackers yard around the turn of the Millenium.

Yet the CCB still gave him the job.

Justin, Tomas Mul, Ger Cunningham and Martin Bowen as the backroom team.

with a view to takling over the top job for the lot of them.
Then go after the one man that could bring us back within 12 months.

I hate this rubbish of team building over the next three years and
leave the man in there for the long haul and all of that.

This isn't Alex Ferguson trying to dominate a multi billion pound professional league.

Get the management right from day 1 and there is NO reason why we
can't go back and compete again next year.

And give the Big Bib to Donal O'Grady.

If he would take it..

[emurf]

Landers has issues with everyone.
Ronan Dwane would be a great choice or Pa Finn.

[bigboyfoolish]

no need for a dream team as such, all we need is a good coach who emphasises the basic skills and can work a system that suits the players available.

Basic skills aren't a problem. I think we have plenty of skill..Naughton, pat Horgan, Deano, Ben
all these lads are as skilful as anything out there.

Our problem is the physical nature that Kilkenny have inrtroduced to their game which always seems to over power us.

You just simply can't go toe to toe with them.
They horsed us out of it AGAIN!

You need a specific gameplan to beat them..

We were way too naive.. Played into their hands big time!

[Rebelred]

Basic skills aren't a problem. I think we have plenty of skill..Naughton, pat Horgan, Deano, Ben
all these lads are as skilful as anything out there.

Our problem is the physical nature that Kilkenny have inrtroduced to their game which always seems to over power us.

You just simply can't go toe to toe with them.
They horsed us out of it AGAIN!

You need a specific gameplan to beat them..

We were way too naive.. Played into their hands big time!

when I say basic skill I mean lifting, hooking, blocking, pulling, Catching and striking. All of these have gone a long way back since the O'Grady era. Brian Murphy couldn't lift the ball quickly enough on a number of occasions last Sunday, in space or under pressure.
Naughtons limp wristed dropping of a soft head high ball in midfield midway through the first half was embarrassing. Gardiner took too long to get the ball into his hand far too often and we got in very few hooks or blocks anywhere on the pitch. In contrast Kilkennys blocking and hooking was first class.

[Youghal Exile]

I cant believe no ones mentioned seanie leary.He has been credited as the man with the real mean streak behind the 99 win.

[Annie Hall]

There's only one man for the job in my book. Paul Galvin.

[emurf]

There's only one man for the job in my book. Paul Galvin.

Mine your book with him around.

[Annie Hall]

Mine your book with him around.

heh heh heh

[bh37]

I cant believe no ones mentioned seanie leary.He has been credited as the man with the real mean streak behind the 99 win.I think JBM would be a great choice I know they say never go back but the players love him and i think with the right staff around him we could be back where we belong challenging again next year.The bulk of the team will be there again next year I cant see that many retirements to be honest and the likes of paudie, cathal,horgan will be another year wiser

[billymac]

The cork mangement team made a few errors in relation to how they set up cork to play last sunday and this definitely contributed to corks loss. The names been mentioned are all good managers (especially Justin ) but i think corks problems lie way deeper. Despite the raving reviws of Brian Cody, i think he is a fairly average manager and if he was managing another county ie wexford or even waterford, i dont think he would win anything. As everybody knows KK could have two teams competiting for the AI.

Managers can make a difference but in general you are only as good as the players you have on disposal. If brian cody was managing cork last weekend we would still have lost. The only viable way of competiting with KK is to put more resources and proper underage facilities in place. If this isnt done we will always be playing catch up with KK no matter who the manager is.

If you were to pick your first 15 from the teams that lined out last sunday, how many would be from cork. This is where the problem lies.

[KolaKubes]

The cork mangement team made a few errors in relation to how they set up cork to play last sunday and this definitely contributed to corks loss. The names been mentioned are all good managers (especially Justin ) but i think corks problems lie way deeper. Despite the raving reviws of Brian Cody, i think he is a fairly average manager and if he was managing another county ie wexford or even waterford, i dont think he would win anything. As everybody knows KK could have two teams competiting for the AI.

Managers can make a difference but in general you are only as good as the players you have on disposal. If brian cody was managing cork last weekend we would still have lost. The only viable way of competiting with KK is to put more resources and proper underage facilities in place. If this isnt done we will always be playing catch up with KK no matter who the manager is.

If you were to pick your first 15 from the teams that lined out last sunday, how many would be from cork. This is where the problem lies.

Disagree totally.

Kilkenny have a lot of averagely gifted players who are very well coached from a young age and do sensible things with the ball.

They also don't suffer from a good chunk of their male populace being a bunch of fairies.

Follow the footballers' example and go out and get a culchie to show you how to play.

Yours etc,

Tipp man with shoes.

[billymac]

Disagree totally.

Kilkenny have a lot of averagely gifted players who are very well coached from a young age and do sensible things with the ball.
They also don't suffer from a good chunk of their male populace being a bunch of fairies.

Follow the footballers' example and go out and get a culchie to show you how to play.

Yours etc,

Tipp man with shoes.



Thats my point. they are been well coached from a young age

[Rebelred]

The cork mangement team made a few errors in relation to how they set up cork to play last sunday and this definitely contributed to corks loss. The names been mentioned are all good managers (especially Justin ) but i think corks problems lie way deeper. Despite the raving reviws of Brian Cody, i think he is a fairly average manager and if he was managing another county ie wexford or even waterford, i dont think he would win anything. As everybody knows KK could have two teams competiting for the AI.

Managers can make a difference but in general you are only as good as the players you have on disposal. If brian cody was managing cork last weekend we would still have lost. The only viable way of competiting with KK is to put more resources and proper underage facilities in place. If this isnt done we will always be playing catch up with KK no matter who the manager is.

If you were to pick your first 15 from the teams that lined out last sunday, how many would be from cork. This is where the problem lies.

I don't think I have ever seen a post so far off the mark about Cody.
His record speaks for itself. 10 years in charge, 8 finals.
Wins in 2000,02,03,06,07 and most likely in 08.
When Galway beat them in 2001 people called for his head,but he survived.
After this, he totally changed the structure of how Kilkenny teams prepared and what they did in training. This started with the dropping of multiple big names who were no longer putting in the required work in training, O'Neill and Carter are two that spring to mind immediately. He took risks and gave young raw hurlers the chance to prove themselves, with no guarantees. He turned average players into top players by concentrating on skill and speed. Sure he had a number of talented hurlers, JJ,Henry, Tommy Walsh and DJ to name but a few, but none of them were ever certain of their place. Take Tennyson and Hogan battling for the centre back role over the last few years.
He can target weak links in teams and exploit them, can consistently motivate his teams year after year and get the best out of them time after time.

To top it all off, Cody's an absolute gentleman aswell.

[BostonRebel]

We need a manager who will:

1. Concentrate on the basics - the stuff that Kilkenny do so well. Cork have plenty of skilled players when they get the ball into their hands, but as someone pointed out above, they take half a fucking day to get it in there. Learn to pick it quick. Learn to hook the other guy. A little old-fashioned ground hurling wouldn't go amiss once in a while either. Note to new manager, whoever you may be: Bring some John Fenton videos to the first meeting.

2. Introduce a mean streak; not a snide and out of character dig like Tom Kenny did out of frustration last Sunday, but the ability and courage to stand up to the likes of KK and hit them back as much as they hit us. (Like O'Neill did in the football to Darragh O' Se). We have seriously lost that in the last couple of years.

Don't know who would fit the bill to be honest. Seanie O' Leary was a good shout. He won't take any shit.

Sorry, just thinking here...

[Actin The Sham]

Cork has Gaelic Football, Soccer, Rugby, Athletics, Basketball, as well as hurling. There is fierce competition for young players. The only way that you can be successful at any sport in Kilkenny is if you play hurling. That is why it is a religion to them, as in Tipperary and Clare.

OK, Cork has a big population, but so has Dublin. The bigger centres of population will continue to decline in hurlinmg terms as the smaller more community focused counties begin to dominate a sport that is in decline.

Hopefully something can be done to halt the slide, but hurling is at a crossroads.


Seanie O' Leary should be manager. The guy doesn't know how to lose.

[KolaKubes]

Cork has Gaelic Football, Soccer, Rugby, Athletics, Basketball, as well as hurling. There is fierce competition for young players. The only way that you can be successful at any sport in Kilkenny is if you play hurling. That is why it is a religion to them, as in Tipperary and Clare.

OK, Cork has a big population, but so has Dublin. The bigger centres of population will continue to decline in hurlinmg terms as the smaller more community focused counties begin to dominate a sport that is in decline.

Hopefully something can be done to halt the slide, but hurling is at a crossroads.


Seanie O' Leary should be manager. The guy doesn't know how to lose.

The only way that you can be successful at any sport in many parts of Cork is if you play hurling.

All I'm saying is let us in charge of it and ye can stick to citeh and Munster.

[Lapsy Pa]

You can rule him out straight off the bat.

Cork CB will NEVER give the job to someone from outside the County.

Ger Cunningham should be looked at.
Martin Bowen from Erins Own seems like a crafty bugger.
If Donal O'Grady was interested he should definitely be considered
and I'm not so sure if he will NEVER go back.

Justin would be a great fella I think to get on board as
a selector and coach.

Maybe not as the Banaisteoir. We neesd someone with a little more devil in them for Kilkenny.

What about Tomas Mulcahy? He's meant to be doing well with the Glen!

Nor should the County board look outside the county bounds for a trainer.

If Bowen gets the job we can all look forward to defensive hurling like having seven defenders. Produces results though.

If the minors continue playing well starting on sunday against the tribesmen then Ger Fitz might get a look in

[bigboyfoolish]

Oh agreed.

I don't think we should be going anywhere for a manager..

We have plenty of our own people more than capable.

You can be sure both Kilkenny and Tipp wouldn't dream of lookin
outside their own house and so why should we..

And I think you might mean Ger Manley in relation to the Minors..

[Lapsy Pa]

Ya. Manley(Midleton)

[bigboyfoolish]

Yeah he would be a good choice and would probably go for
bringin in lots of the young fellas..

I do think it might be a good idea to hold someone like
that in reserve for a little while longer and let him learn his trade
for one or two more seasons at that grade.

Just like Declan Ryan, who is being groomed as the next Tipp senior boss.

Leave him off there for another year and see how he gets on.
By the time he's ready to make the step up he should be more familiar
with a lot of the lads who would have passed through his hands at Minor level at that stage.

In the very immediate I think we should go for someone
with a bit more experience in dealing with seasoned
players.

I don't think they're as written off as some people make them out.

Sully is only 30.
{We should certainly revisit the experiment of playing him at
full forward. We have little or no physical presence up front and
he wouldn't have to be AS fit as what would be required if he was playing full back}

John Gardiner and Ronan Curran in their mid twenties.

Donal Og is a goal keeper. Can go on for another 3-4 Years.

So bring some more young fellas on stream and the future is not so bad as I felt last Monday morning. {Media black out/in bed all day/phone off and talk to no one}.

I would implore the CCB to have a good think about it this time though and not just jump for any auld fella who might be available..

[rebelsister]

Nor should the County board look outside the county bounds for a trainer.

If Bowen gets the job we can all look forward to defensive hurling like having seven defenders. Produces results though.

If the minors continue playing well starting on sunday against the tribesmen then Ger Fitz might get a look in

if bowen gets the job we can look forward to even more unrest between hurlers and the county board any one remember erins own withdrawal issues? not a good idea!

[rebelsister]

yep he does.
A new County Secretary would be nice too.
Sullys oul fella is in line to be the new Chairman/mouthpiece of the board, but we all know who the boss is.

sully's father hurled until he was 41 years and played corner back in the county intermediate final that year, think he knows the scores for the players, the man is at every match hurling and football

[bigboyfoolish]

I'm sure he does.
And his integrity and motivation is unquestioned.

If anyone can have any kind of sway and
do what's right by Cork Hurling is all good..

I still feel extremely sore about Sunday BTW.

Find it very hard to take.

Sick as a dog..

[Rebelred]

sully's father hurled until he was 41 years and played corner back in the county intermediate final that year, think he knows the scores for the players, the man is at every match hurling and football

not questioning Jerrys knowledge at all, the man is a legend. But don't be naive to think that anyone other than Frank is in charge at County board level.

[Rebelred]

I'm sure he does.
And his integrity and motivation is unquestioned.

If anyone can have any kind of sway and
do what's right by Cork Hurling is all good..

I still feel extremely sore about Sunday BTW.

Find it very hard to take.

Sick as a dog..

chin up lad, Sunday was tough but we've seen worse days.

[megatron]

it has been a long week, im sick of drink, and im still hurtin from last weekend, if gerald doesnt get another year, id like to see JBM back and breed in the young blood, if were down for 2 or 3 years so what not the end of the world, coz when we do return to the top the victory will be sweet like 2004 and 05, ill still be there shoutin and roarin for the rebels.

Corcaigh Abu

[BlueSkies]

I think we should all be begging O'Grady to come back, he's the only one single-minded and astute enough to compete with Cody and Kilkenny. Barring him, I suppose Ger Cunningham. It's no use having good hurlers against Kilkenny without a gameplan.