Cork Hurlers - Part 2

[bluesball]

Close defeat by Limerick in the final at the least.

 

[Cork93]

I wonder if Noel Furlong and Pat Mulcahy will now take over the under 20's ?

Good to see the under 20 group back together again. It is amazing how quickly despondency turns to optimism in sport.

Not sure about Mulcahy, but Furlong surely the right man to take on this group considering his all Ireland winning group from 2021 will be u19.

 

[Rebel CNC]

Close defeat by Limerick in the final at the least.

Think this may be it albeit could be semi final depending on the way the chips fall. Left an AI semi final appearance v KK team we beat in 2021 behind us this year, primarily due to poor judgements/ decisions by players.

I'd say Ryan himself will (privately) have fairly high hopes of what he can achieve with this group of players and would expect to hit the ground running from year 1.

 

[red&blue]

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

 

[bluesball]

The truth hurts sometimes and i will judge them in 2 years time when Limerick will be there for the taking.

 

[Rebel CNC]

The truth hurts sometimes and i will judge them in 2 years time when Limerick will be there for the taking.

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!!

 

[Vladimir The Bear]

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

All Ireland champs.

Failing that a team that died with its boots on after fighting for 70+ minutes, that was defensively sound, wasn't shooting double digit wides and tactically played a fast hard brand of hurling that didn't involve 6 or 7 handpasses at the back to gain about 10 yards.

 

[leeside_rebel]

Fair play to the 4 lads for coming on board as selectors, not easy to give the time and commitment required. Obviously they work well as a group but senior is a serious step up again in commitment levels, themselves and their families deserve great credit.
Donal o Mahony was also with John meyler, he's given huge time to cork hurling

 

[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