Cork Hurlers - Part 2

[Jonaldinho]

I dont think Kiely would start any of our team,

Lets be honest here - who in the rest of the country would start on this current Limerick team? I can only think of a few players around the country - Tony Kelly, Conor Whelan, possibly TJ. They are head and shoulders above everyone else at the moment and they just become machines when it gets to the crucial stages. They will stroll past Galway and cant see either of the other 2 live with them in an AI final either.

 

[bluesball]

I said earlier this week that we have the 2nd best panel around but of the top 8 we have the worst management.

 

[Bana]

If it's the Examiner, probably a Tony Leen Special. Garbage.

This. Don't believe everything you read.....wait for the co board to clarify.

 

[Hurlywurly]

This. Don't believe everything you read.....wait for the co board to clarify.

Ah lads don't be ruining the considered debate with those kind of notions
Sure didn't the young fella hopping ball off a wall down the tunnel witness the actual papers being signed.

 

[TheOutdoorThreadmill]

If it's the Examiner, probably a Tony Leen Special. Garbage.

Nope, a Moynihan special this time.

 

[red&blue]

Wasting our time comparing ourselves until we get our own house in order and going on this year we are a long way from that

 

[Killyoursons]

Keep hearing we have the players - is this really the case when measured against the best? Who out of corks 1-15 would make the limerick team? Think you’d be struggling to find more that 1 or 2 I think Clare and Waterford have a better 1-15 also, we are close to KK and Galway; currently 50:50 games The comments on here would make you believe KK is blowing all Ireland’s year after year. A different manager might be worth a look at but they will still be populating a team with the same players who if we are honest are a step away from the best.

There has been a tendancy imo to overrate Cork's hurlers, particularly when it comes to their skill levels. But fwiw I think players can improve, and in some cases improve dramatically, with the right coaching and if they buy into it and are willing to challenge each other and demand higher standards. Lots of examples of this, Lohan with Clare being a recent one. Man for man, how many Clare players would you have thought three months ago would get into Limerick's starting team? Obviously a new management team won't automatically improve things, but it is honestly hard for me to see the current set-up making much progress, and in that situation it makes sense to look for alternatives.

When it comes to the current Cork panel, there are definitely specific things that can be improved, or at least where it's reasonable to think that improvement is possible. A few obvious ones - picking players in their best positions, working on tackling and holding opposition players up (especially among the forwards), hitting high-quality ball into the FF line (a lot of aimless looping ball was dropped in on Tim and Connolly last Saturday), even something as basic as switching on when the ball goes dead, especially on the opposition puck-outs (look at scores conceded to Clare and Galway where there was no-one within yards of the man receiving the ball).

Moving beyond the current panel, or at least beyond recent match-day 26s, there are questions as to which other players should be getting more game-time or being worked with on specific aspects of their play. To be clear - I'm not for a moment suggesting that there are many players in the county who *right now* would improve the first XV. I'm saying that beyond the changes I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are areas where Cork need to be strengthened and where this might require looking at different options - one example would be playing at least one or two more physical forwards who are better able to win their own ball.

 

[Jonaldinho]

There has been a tendancy imo to overrate Cork's hurlers, particularly when it comes to their skill levels. But fwiw I think players can improve, and in some cases improve dramatically, with the right coaching and if they buy into it and are willing to challenge each other and demand higher standards. Lots of examples of this, Lohan with Clare being a recent one. Man for man, how many Clare players would you have thought three months ago would get into Limerick's starting team? Obviously a new management team won't automatically improve things, but it is honestly hard for me to see the current set-up making much progress, and in that situation it makes sense to look for alternatives.

When it comes to the current Cork panel, there are definitely specific things that can be improved, or at least where it's reasonable to think that improvement is possible. A few obvious ones - picking players in their best positions, working on tackling and holding opposition players up (especially among the forwards), hitting high-quality ball into the FF line (a lot of aimless looping ball was dropped in on Tim and Connolly last Saturday), even something as basic as switching on when the ball goes dead, especially on the opposition puck-outs (look at scores conceded to Clare and Galway where there was no-one within yards of the man receiving the ball).

Moving beyond the current panel, or at least beyond recent match-day 26s, there are questions as to which other players should be getting more game-time or being worked with on specific aspects of their play. To be clear - I'm not for a moment suggesting that there are many players in the county who *right now* would improve the first XV. I'm saying that beyond the changes I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are areas where Cork need to be strengthened and where this might require looking at different options - one example would be playing at least one or two more physical forwards who are better able to win their own ball.

Going back to my previous point - how many do you think would get in now? Id still only really probably have Tony Kelly in there. Shane O Donnell could force his way in but you couldnt argue if he was left out too. The rest? Limerick in every line are superior to everyone else in the country.

 

[Killyoursons]

Going back to my previous point - how many do you think would get in now? Id still only really probably have Tony Kelly in there. Shane O Donnell could force his way in but you couldnt argue if he was left out too. The rest? Limerick in every line are superior to everyone else in the country.

It's worth distinguishing two different questions here. First, are there many other players better than their Limerick counterparts? Second, are there many other players who would fit better into the current Limerick team, i.e., improve it while the rest of the team remains the same?

For instance, I think Conor Whelan is a better player than Flanagan, but Flanagan plays a crucial role for Limerick's attack, and both he and his team-mates know what his job is and how he will go about doing it. So even though Whelan is imo a better player, bringing him in might weaken the team overall.

Or take John Conlon - it's doubtful imo that he would improve Limerick, but I reckon he fits the current Clare team better than Hannon would.

In terms of players who might be better than their Limerick counterparts, in addition to Whelan and Kelly I think you could make a case for Lawlor or Daithi Burke at FB, Fitzgerald at midfield, Eoin Cody and perhaps Dessie Hutchinson or Rory O'Connor in the full-forward line. I'm not for a moment saying any of these are clearly better, but in each case there's at least an argument to be had.

 

[TheOutdoorThreadmill]

Exactly, but the article said “the players” which as you said can’t be true. I hope to god this is all bs. Kieran is a great guy but it’s time for a change

It said the "players group" which are about 5 or 6 that are the go between for the panel to the management.