Cork U20 hurlers 2026

[Pooman]

He's stretching it less tbh. Clare have a better group of players at this age. Imo (and I could presently be proved v wrong) they will win Munster. Once they sorted out the issues which led to their round-robin defeat (which were a lot more easiky addressed than Cork's), they were always going to be favoured to win. And I say that as someone who thinks the management could have done a lot better on the night.

They were 3rd favourites in Munster. They finished 3rd. People can spin it whichever way they want but to finish where you were expected to finish is the very definition of average to me.

 

[Killyoursons]

They were 3rd favourites in Munster. They finished 3rd. People can spin it whichever way they want but to finish where you were expected to finish is the very definition of average to me.

I see where you're coming from. To my mind, that they beat one of the teams ranked ahead of them counts in their favour. But basically imo the debate is whether the campaign was good or average - both a long way from the shambles that the other poster claimed.

 

[Anne mac]

I see where you're coming from. To my mind, that they beat one of the teams ranked ahead of them counts in their favour. But basically imo the debate is whether the campaign was good or average - both a long way from the shambles that the other poster claimed.

Clare hit 1.6 in the last ten minutes and we didn't score...at home.
Shambles.

 

[overtheline]

A shambles? Won 3 from 4 games and lost the other by 2 points playing the second half with 14 men and against the wind. Beating the same team twice inside a week is always hard when there's little between them.
The campaign was built around the forward line. Losing Finn early and Barry getting injured were serious blows. This team fought hard all year. Disappointing end to a promising season, yes. Shambles, no.

 

[Tricolour]

They were 3rd favourites in Munster. They finished 3rd. People can spin it whichever way they want but to finish where you were expected to finish is the very definition of average to me.

They were minor all Ireland champions 3 years ago this group. If they were 3rd favourites for munster that says more about bookmakers lack of knowledge and insight i would say

 

[Killyoursons]

They were minor all Ireland champions 3 years ago this group. If they were 3rd favourites for munster that says more about bookmakers lack of knowledge and insight i would say

I'm open to correction, but I'm pretty sure that by 'they' the poster meant Cork, not Clare.

 

[Twiceasnice97]

He made a weird call where a sideline cut was put straight over the bar and he gave a square ball

ball was going wide murphy went into the square to try contesting it.

Its not surprising Cork ran out of energy at the end.
12 of clares starting team and 3 of the subs are in their last year. that matters at this age when the game is as physicak as it was.

The cork management are a set up you would enjoy watching fail as an opposition supporter.
their sideline behaviour last year was really shit.
I was right behind their dugout in sixmilebridge.
Furlong was warned by the ref after repeatedly shouting at clare free takers as they went to strike.
Cusack smashed a sideline flag because of a line ball call. silly shit

The stuff with Craig O Sullivan was appalling outside of being incredibly stupid but the criticism regarding Tomas O Connor is a bit harsh. If you haven't got the tools to deal with him you could make it worse with a change and the full back did manage to get the ball to ground regularly, Garde played very deep at 6 to try to curtail him but that left cork short further up and as the game went on it became harder and harder to get the ball into the full forward line .
Barry Walsh played out the field the first day and was marked by Matthew O Halloran who prevented him having any influence on the game. He did the same to Stefan Tobin the previous week. Walsh only became a factor when he went into the full forward line.
So whether it would have mattered having him out there is open to question
On that basis those criticisms of management are a bit harsh.

The last 2 years clare have had a bit extra quality but the cprl management, (a pair of tossers) have clearly got the squad working really hard for each other and the jersey so the question then becomes , are they selecting and improving the right kind of player and it feels to me like they are.

 

[Twiceasnice97]

And I fail to see the bitching about the minors - there’s always a bigger picture

You’re trying to protect a talented minor
A young lad if he’s good enough could be on his school teams ( hurling & football) his club teams ( hurling and football) on cork teams - minor/ u/20s
He’s going to be flogged - training / playing matches, pulled in all directions with every manager saying they’ll mind him
But only concerned about their own team
He’ll be going non stop with no break, he’ll be playing with injuries / niggles -
In the modern game the player will be burned iut by time he’s 20/21

In addition to that if a minor is playing ‘adult’ competitions - his team - 20 club lads or amagamated teams etc - are all
Held up waiting for for those adult teams to go out of completion so they can start their own competitions - minor games wouldnt start till after club championships finishes - hardly fair on all his own club mates

Sorry for long winded rant but that’s the reason minors are excluded - we explored it fully at our club the time they were changing the rules

Re the juniors an exception was made because the junior clubs looked for it - small
Clubs felt they’d struggle to field if they couldn’t play their minors

So it protects talented young lads,
Allows minor / 20s completions to run off and doesn’t cripple small junior clubs
I think it’s a good compromise for Cork anyway -

which is why the return to under 18 is so monumentally stupid

 

[Colonel Lee Fields]

which is why the return to under 18 is so monumentally stupid

Our minor club championship is u18 not u17 like most other counties club championship. So our minors can’t play adult in the top five grades till they are 19 the year of the championship.
In other counties they can play at 18

 

[Twiceasnice97]

What happened to Craig wasn’t good and all the management would agree, but their was number of factors to why it happened. Craig was told the reason and while disappointed he understood why it happened.

I think you’re doubting their management and coaching skills, you don’t like them (and thats fine) but you came on here the other day saying they shouldn’t be left near a cork team again!! you were just waiting them to lose and straight out with the daggers.

I am sure he was told the reason
we could all see the reason.
Anyone who has ever been in a management understands though that a cohort of the management dont fancy The O Brien lad.
They didnt pick him, got a chance to rectify the decision on free taker very early and were stubborn over it so they ended up messing up a young lad to rectify their own mistake.
they wont put it that way though