Cork Hurlers - Part 2

[Red Rebel 1]

Teams that got within 1 score of Limerick last year =
Waterford, Clare x2, Galway and Kilkenny.
The only games that Limerick won by more than 3 points were against the worst Tipp team in years (who were leading at half time and really put it up to them) and Cork. This Limerick team deservedly won last year's all Ireland and are a brilliant team, one of the best ever, but certainly not unbeatable. The aim next year has to be an All Ireland win. I doubt Kilkenny, Galway and Clare, three teams you could argue Cork might be better than would settle for a close loss to Limerick again next year so why should Cork

 

[RightHalfBack]

What would we consider to be a successful 2023 campaign for Ryan’s first year? All Ireland or bust?

if you look in the cold light of day Cupan at the 2022 performance you would have to say Cork had the ability to have a serious say in the championship but blew it initially through ridiculous tactics and player positioning by management ( v Limerick and Clare ) and then through wastefulness and sloppiness by the players ( v Galway ) where they butchered 3-17 in scores and conceded two soft goals ( one of them a catastrophic keeper mistake ) and then lost by a single point to a team who actually looked far more likely to beat Limerick in the semi than KK did in the final.

I think Pat Ryan will feel he has the talent and depth to win the AI even in 2023 and I also believe that Cork are the one team who could completely upset Limerick with their pace and movement but ONLY if they set up well defensively and then have a launchpad to attach from half back.

I think Ryan will bring in Daire O’ Leary as a starter at No 3, I think he will look to have a strong physical half back line who can hurl and use the ball well coming out of defense and I can see him bringing in a few ball winners in attack and rotating them with speedy players playing off them in a more direct type of game.

I would love to see him go with a defense something like this

Collins
SOD. DOL. Millerick
Joyce. R. Downey E. Downey

Further up the field we have enough talent, pace and scoring ability to trouble anyone but we have to be able to build from a solid backline hence Downey needs to be the enforcer at 6 ( he takes no shit so stuck him right in the middle of it and he will drive it on physically ) and Joyce has more room to hurl at 5 or 7. Eoin Downey is ready also from what I have seen and has the size and devilment - if he wasn’t sitting his Leaving I think he would have played championship this year

Time will tell but Ryan knows full well he has a potential All Ireland panel available to him despite the underperformance this year

 

[Happyhonkaman]

if you look in the cold light of day Cupan at the 2022 performance you would have to say Cork had the ability to have a serious say in the championship but blew it initially through ridiculous tactics and player positioning by management ( v Limerick and Clare ) and then through wastefulness and sloppiness by the players ( v Galway ) where they butchered 3-17 in scores and conceded two soft goals ( one of them a catastrophic keeper mistake ) and then lost by a single point to a team who actually looked far more likely to beat Limerick in the semi than KK did in the final.

I think Pat Ryan will feel he has the talent and depth to win the AI even in 2023 and I also believe that Cork are the one team who could completely upset Limerick with their pace and movement but ONLY if they set up well defensively and then have a launchpad to attach from half back.

I think Ryan will bring in Daire O’ Leary as a starter at No 3, I think he will look to have a strong physical half back line who can hurl and use the ball well coming out of defense and I can see him bringing in a few ball winners in attack and rotating them with speedy players playing off them in a more direct type of game.

I would love to see him go with a defense something like this

Collins
SOD. DOL. Millerick
Joyce. R. Downey E. Downey

Further up the field we have enough talent, pace and scoring ability to trouble anyone but we have to be able to build from a solid backline hence Downey needs to be the enforcer at 6 ( he takes no shit so stuck him right in the middle of it and he will drive it on physically ) and Joyce has more room to hurl at 5 or 7. Eoin Downey is ready also from what I have seen and has the size and devilment - if he wasn’t sitting his Leaving I think he would have played championship this year

Time will tell but Ryan knows full well he has a potential All Ireland panel available to him despite the underperformance this year

Surely Joyce is a lock at CHB? We have spent years moving everyone continuously and we finally have one of the finest players in the country burst onto the scene.. and you want to move him again!

 

[North Cork]

This defeatist talk of ‘finishing second to Limerick would be a good year’ is mad stuff. We be beaten before we start if Pat & his selectors have that attitude, thankfully they won’t, they know winning the all ireland is all that counts not moral victories

I would guess that no targets will be set other than win every game as it comes.

 

[North Cork]

Maybe but as per above, if they do meet in sf/final next year, you can be sure Ryan will fancy his chances.
However, Limerick will be gunning for 4 in a row next year and would have to be strong favourites, barring significant injury crisis.
After that, think the hunger may begin to wane and likes of Dan Morrissey, Hannon and Hegarty will be pushing on and even those a few years younger will have lot of miles on the clock.

Granted, likes of Seamie and Hoggie may be pushing on too but the 2020-21 u20 vintage will be approaching their prime and best of the 2021 minor team will hopefully be ready to contribute..if not playing rugby!!

It is a long twelve months for Limerick before the next final.
I think their peak year was 2021, they won in 2022 but not comfortably, 2023 will be interesting. Some of that team were playing championship in 2015, more in 2016 and I think about ten in 2017.
The team has been unchanged almost completely since 2018. It is a challenge for any group to repeat the commitment and enthusiasm year after year. It won't be age that will beat Limerick it will be miles on the legs and a hungry pack chasing behind.

Every county wants to knock the champions off their perch and several counties will fancy themselves to do that... including Cork.

If you don't have that ambition then why bother at all ?

 

[Gregory_Mike]

I would guess that no targets will be set other than win every game as it comes.

Hopefully the league will be used as a means for trying out new players and as Championship pre-season to build fitness levels. Probably best not to reach the knockout stages.

 

[bluesball]

the league is a waste of time and should only be used for trying out players until the GAA decide to make in like the football league.

 

[SoundMan]

What would we consider to be a successful 2023 campaign for Ryan’s first year? All Ireland or bust?

Successful 2023 for me would be the squad showing progress, new personnel and tactics tried, and being able to take on and defeat teams outwith Limerick and Kilkenny and most importantly gaining the squad of players and management the experience and tactical nous of knowing what to do in tight matches to get over the line. Knowing what to do, and executing it are two different things, but you must first learn what is required, to achieve the second.

I genuinely think we will win the AI in the next 3 years under Ryan. Get the squad together and have the individual parts playing to their potential. By year two we should have the sum of the whole better than the sum of the parts, and by year three we should be good enough, and confident enough to take on anyone, including Limerick, going into the game firmly believing that we'll win and with the play and performance to back it up.

OK, maybe I'm being optimistic given the last almost two decades but I genuinely believe the quality hurlers are in Cork. We "just" need to forge them into a good enough squad, who are mentally and physically prepared for the ultimate tests. And that will take some time.


Edit: With regard to Limerick and/or KK I wouldn't see it as necessarily a bad season if we ended up losing to them, as long as we learn the lessons from the defeat. And good managers will often learn more from defeats than from a victory, that can at times paper over cracks.

 

[lance uppercut]

if you look in the cold light of day Cupan at the 2022 performance you would have to say Cork had the ability to have a serious say in the championship but blew it initially through ridiculous tactics and player positioning by management ( v Limerick and Clare ) and then through wastefulness and sloppiness by the players ( v Galway ) where they butchered 3-17 in scores and conceded two soft goals ( one of them a catastrophic keeper mistake ) and then lost by a single point to a team who actually looked far more likely to beat Limerick in the semi than KK did in the final.

I think Pat Ryan will feel he has the talent and depth to win the AI even in 2023 and I also believe that Cork are the one team who could completely upset Limerick with their pace and movement but ONLY if they set up well defensively and then have a launchpad to attach from half back.

I think Ryan will bring in Daire O’ Leary as a starter at No 3, I think he will look to have a strong physical half back line who can hurl and use the ball well coming out of defense and I can see him bringing in a few ball winners in attack and rotating them with speedy players playing off them in a more direct type of game.

I would love to see him go with a defense something like this

Collins
SOD. DOL. Millerick
Joyce. R. Downey E. Downey

Further up the field we have enough talent, pace and scoring ability to trouble anyone but we have to be able to build from a solid backline hence Downey needs to be the enforcer at 6 ( he takes no shit so stuck him right in the middle of it and he will drive it on physically ) and Joyce has more room to hurl at 5 or 7. Eoin Downey is ready also from what I have seen and has the size and devilment - if he wasn’t sitting his Leaving I think he would have played championship this year

Time will tell but Ryan knows full well he has a potential All Ireland panel available to him despite the underperformance this year

I'd love to see him try some one else beside the Collins in goals. Eoin Davis maybe. Don't think Collins is up to it and he cost us this year. Don't think he's under pressure from the sub keeper either

 

[Thistlecrack]

I'd love to see him try some one else beside the Collins in goals. Eoin Davis maybe. Don't think Collins is up to it and he cost us this year. Don't think he's under pressure from the sub keeper either

Wouldn't blame Collins for this year but I agree completely with sentence 1 and 4.