Ciaran Joyce, Sean O'Donoghue and Tim O'Mahony should be the mainstays or certain starters on the Cork team but previous manangements hadn't a clue where to play Tim, he simply has to be in an attacking position, either mid-field, wing-forward or full-forward. If he is fit for the early rounds of the league he should start centre-field. Within the current panel Patrick Collins is a certain starter unless Pat Ryan names Cathal Hickey in goal and Hickey agrees to play this late in his career, the only other option is he delves into Ben O'Connors U-20 panel and picks one of them 3 young 'keepers.
Whatever criticism is labelled at Declan Dalton he certainly brings physicality, he wont be bullied, he has hurling and he should be the future long term free taker over Shane Kingston and Conor Lehane. His lack of pace is an issue but Cork have plenty forwards with pace and a proper mix is what's required. Dalton certainly has plenty to offer whether it's as a starter or coming off the bench. Brian Hayes and Cormac Beausang also bring plenty diversity to an attack which already possessed good forwards but never gelled because too many of the same type of player were selected together and the supply lines were not direct.
If the selectors do their job Cork certainly have the forwards to be AI contenders but the defence is a huge issue. Regarding defenders the panel is too confined with a likelihood of Niall O'Leary and Sean O'Donoghue both corner-backs for championship or even earlier and Conor O'Callaghan, Eoin Roche and Sean O'Leary Hayes the cover. Robert Downey the likely full-back with Daire O'Leary and Damien Cahalane the cover and Eoin Downey, Ciaran Joyce and Ger Millerick (if fit) the best possible half-back line with Damien Cahalane and Cormac O'Brien as cover.
As I stated Tim O'Mahony should be the mainstay in mid-field unless Ben O'Connor becomes available later in the year with either Ethan Twomey or Darragh Fitz. Brian Roche, Brian O'Sullivan and Tommy O'Connell are all cover here but Roche and O'Connell should also be cover for half-forward and half-back respectively.
As I also stated the key to the forwards will be selecting the proper mix, the selectors certainly can't go with Lehane, Kingston and J.O'C in the same attack, the league should tell us a lot regarding the starting 6 come championship.