Cork Hurlers - Part 2

[Hurlywurly]

On the subject of AI winning U20s not coming through.
The double winning Tipp side's U21 team have yet to fully put their stamp on the senior team. The 2019 senior Tipp AI was the last kick of that older great Tipp team.
The KK U20 winning team haven't left any imprint as of yet on the senior team.

The only successful U21 team to make a mark in the last decade is Limerick.
We know how that turned out.

For me winning an AI this year with this Cork team is a long long shot, it's possible until it isn't

I have always thought that it's from 2025 onwards that we'll see great things from the newer generation of Cork players.

 

[DougMM]

Not sure how anyone could have looked at the game yesterday and think we lacked fight or aggression.

Maybe lack of fight is the wrong description, given as you’ve mentioned, they did well to come back into the game after being down a man. Lack of physicality and ball-winners might be more accurate as both Waterford goals came from high balls launched down on our half back line.

O’Connell and Coleman are great hurlers (and could do a good job at mf) but they are two of the smaller half-backs playing intercounty hurling and never looked like owning those situations in the air leading up to the goals. The Limerick or Clare half-backs are all big men who back themselves to win at least 60/70% of those types of high balls.

Also would point out that Waterford, like ourselves, have one of the smaller middle-8s in modern hurling, and yet they managed to win 66% of their puck-outs and we could only manage to win 54% of our puck-outs. You can’t give Limerick those sort of numbers as they won’t miss 40% of their shots like Waterford did yesterday. Also, If we’re struggling to win puck-outs and contain the Waterford forwards in the air, what will happen when we face the likes of Hegarty, Hayes and co. in a Limerick game?

 

[Instabroke]

Are fellas really genuinely surprised by yesterdays result ? Simply put we are all fur coat and no knickers. Too many just not good enough, this is a serious standard and about to get even more serious. Those crying out for change yep all for it, but we don't have any proven class act to come in. More of the same, a good game every now and again type player and live off of that then for a bit.
I don't envy the management, I don't think there was any player yesterday that a) didn't start or b) on the bench or on the extended panel that would have made a big enough difference. The quality isn't there.
We have handy lads,decent and some are better than others. We just don't have enough class acts, those who even when poor for them are still a 7.5/10 player.
Don't get me wrong it very easy play here behind a keyboard, it's going to take some hell of a turnaround next Sunday.

 

[bluesball]

Soundy your comments should should be in the joke forum. Even waterford supporters were laughing at some of the decisions he was giving. Was told last night it was his 1st championship match.

 

[Hurlywurly]

Even rucks aside, and the ref who I thought was good overall seemed very happy to let them develop, I was surprised at how many players on both sides struggled to lift the ball yesterday

Exactly, there was no clear advantage to Waterford on the ruck front.

The pitch was allegedly hard but it looked to be kicking up dust so not sure what was going on there.

 

[Charley Sheen]

The standard is very high at the moment and competitive. Plenty on here ignore this and think we have the best panel around. Very much not true. Waterford have at least 20 players as good as Cork.

Someone mentioned Clare’s forward line. David Fitzgerald, Peter Duggan, Tony Kelly, Shane O Donnell, Rodgers, McCarthy etc bring a serious balance of physicality speed size and skill.

Selection needs to be right here. Especially in defence. There will be plenty of twists and turns in this championship and 4 points likely enough to get 3rd spot.

 

[North Cork]

Bitterly disappointing day.

No excuses, just beaten by a better team who were better drilled and stuck to their game plan.

I am not sure what our game plan was so I can't really say if we stuck to it or not... we were poor as a team but saved from a worse defeat by some good individual performances.

In spite of all that, after having a man sent off, a black card and conceding a stupid goal from a free we were still within touching distance of Waterford at the end.

I felt Sorry for Sean Twomey tbh, yes he was poor but so were plenty of others and yet we knew he would be the first to go. I would like to see him getting another chance. TOC was poor yesterday but it was a day when few of the older players gave leadership so I find it hard to blame the novices.
We all had reservations about Conor Lehane, unfortunately they were justified.
We felt that age was beginning to show with Patrick Horgan, it is obvious now.
We felt that Dara Fitzgibbon is a forward , not a midfielder, I see no reason to change that opinion after yesterday.

The positives for me, few as they were,
The form of Connolly and Barrett and I thought Harnedy justified his place at times.
I thought Hayes looked lively when he came on and will surely get a start next weekend.
The form of Marl Coleman I thought was positive as well.

Given the pressure the backs were under I thought they did well generally. I think it was from eight forward was our biggest weakness.

Whatever about the hurling ability of Tim O Mahony I think we are crying out for his physicality but yet he didn't even get on the pitch at all.

More than anything my faith in PR to turn us into challengers has taken a severe blow.
He has to get it sorted in a week or we will have a quiet summer.

That said, I would like to see Ciaran Joyce play at centre back rather than wandering all over the pitch as I am sure are his instructions.
I thought the ref was poor but that had nothing to do with our performance or the result.

 

[Horse of Gold]

A lot calling for TOM, I’m not sure management are convinced by him. Has seen very little game time (injuries haven’t helped) over Ryan’s time in charge.

And again he’s another who has been drafted into a number of positions. Personally don’t think he has the cuteness of hurling to be midfield

 

[bluesball]

No the referee had nothing at all to to with ouperformance,halfback line and half forward line taken to the cleaners.

 

[bluesball]

On another note how did ye fare getting out of the place it was almost 8.30 before i hit Dungarvan for grub.