Cork U20 hurlers 2026

[TheOutdoorThreadmill]

Congrats on the U20 AI TAN

Fine team with some serious prospects on it.

Kelly, Duggan, Conlon and O Donnell have a lot of miles on the clock so the timing for a good underage conveyor belt couldn’t be better for ye bastards!!!

I wonder is there a change coming in the conveyor belt after current crop of minors and 20s. Cork u15s gave their counterparts an all merciful hiding on Saturday

 

[overtheline]

The Furlong/Cusack show really messed up Cork's chances. A good hurler in Matthew Barrett who never played full-back before played full-back in every game and was like a proper square peg in a round hole. Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers) is a real prospect and extremely versatile but not considered good enough by this management. Players such as Mark O'Brien and Cormac Deane left out in the cold although O'Brien is a former goal scorer at inter-county minor and U-20 and then a reliance by the management on O'Brien to save Cork when they were facing defeat in the last few minutes of the Munster semi-final. Cormac Deane was Cork's best minor forward in 2025 and 1 of 4 who made the All-Stars Team but he was the only 1 of the 4 to not start U-20 this year. The biggest f***up of the lot though was to not start James O'Brien in the semi-final after he having a good campaign up to that match, yet John Murphy of Mallow who was sent off in the 1st game was restored and played game after game in various positions without showing any form. You could hardly make it up but it's real! I among a few others on here gave the warning signs but many disagreed pointing to the form seen in winter training by management with the belief that they new what they were doing, well the evidence that they were wrong is there for us all to see now!

Same post, different week. Every player not picked was the missing piece, every player picked was the wrong call, and the management are clueless. We've heard it.

On full-back — there was no obvious option there all year and management had to make a call. Matthew Barrett held the position while Cork won 3 of 4 group games. That's not a square peg, that's a player doing a job in a position the panel didn't have a natural fit for.

The facts the post conveniently skips: this management finished 2nd in the group both years and lost narrowly to Clare in the Munster semi both years. Cork were the only team to beat Clare this championship. They were also unlucky in the final round when Limerick put out a second-string side and denied Cork top spot and a place in the final. Losing Finn and carrying an injured Barry Walsh in the semi was terminal in a campaign built around the forwards.

Context matters too. Cork haven't won a minor All-Ireland in years and the Harty hasn't been kind either. The pipeline isn't exactly delivering finished articles. Finishing 2nd in Munster two years running is a fair return on what's coming through.

The rest is selection second-guessing dressed up as analysis. Every county has lads who didn't make their panel that someone thinks should have been picked. You've made your mind up about this management long before and nothing in any reply was going to shift it. Fair enough — but don't dress up a grudge as insight.

 

[Corkonian1]

Phantom81

Not overlooking at all, it's exactly what I stated regarding Furlong and Cusack over a 2 year period of which you don't accept. Pooman spells it out over the managements 2 years regarding Conor McCarthy of which you also don't accept. The credentials of M. O'Brien and Deane are there to be seen but again you don't accept and prefer to delve into what the management see in winter training and challenge games

You eventually acknowledge the management got it wrong in the Munster semi regarding James O'Brien and we also had their fiasco in the same match regarding Craig O'Sullivan which you ignore. We've seen 2 selection f***ups in a knock out game but in your mind the same management couldn't have got selections wrong over 2 years, jokeshop!

You have a series of brainfarts then by firstly alluding my points to a different forum connected to the senior team regarding Ben O'Connor and Deccie Dalton. Secondly you suggest I should join a board who re-appoint managers, coaches and selectors at inter-county level who have already failed in the same positions. You remind me of when Pat Spillane was asked on TV would he someday go into politics. Your jokeshop is really expanding now!

 

[Corkonian1]

overtheline

Your 'every player picked' and 'every player not picked' is some concoction that may lead to your own constitution some day but is a gross exaggeration and a lie.

Interestingly last year Fergal McCormack described Denis Fitzgerald as an animal at full-back, isn't it amazing he didn't play him in the corner. Rian O'Riordan was full-back for the minors in 2024 and he was replaced by Cian Denis O'Connor, O'Riordan makes this years panel and mainly played corner-back in those infamous challenge games you are another to glorify, while Cian Denis went off the radar like so many others. In the eyes of the management it was Cillian O'Callaghan and then it became Matthew Barrett who never before played there but of whom you dismiss as a square peg.

Losing Finn and Barry Walsh to injury but no mention of who Clare were missing the first night, the dispicable interview by Furlong, James O'Briens MOM performance in the 1st Clare game and both fiasco's surrounding him being dropped for the semi and the Craig O'Sullivan management brainfarts.

Context will not change if you have a management who repeats the same mistakes based on their stubbornness on how they see the game should be played. Do you see St. Kierans dominating the Harty teams & AI Colleges and KK struggling at minor, U-20 and senior.

My only grudge is towards how poor this management are managing the Cork U-20's over a 2 year period, prove otherwise!

 

[overtheline]

overtheline

Your 'every player picked' and 'every player not picked' is some concoction that may lead to your own constitution some day but is a gross exaggeration and a lie.

Interestingly last year Fergal McCormack described Denis Fitzgerald as an animal at full-back, isn't it amazing he didn't play him in the corner. Rian O'Riordan was full-back for the minors in 2024 and he was replaced by Cian Denis O'Connor, O'Riordan makes this years panel and mainly played corner-back in those infamous challenge games you are another to glorify, while Cian Denis went off the radar like so many others. In the eyes of the management it was Cillian O'Callaghan and then it became Matthew Barrett who never before played there but of whom you dismiss as a square peg.

Losing Finn and Barry Walsh to injury but no mention of who Clare were missing the first night, the dispicable interview by Furlong, James O'Briens MOM performance in the 1st Clare game and both fiasco's surrounding him being dropped for the semi and the Craig O'Sullivan management brainfarts.

Context will not change if you have a management who repeats the same mistakes based on their stubbornness on how they see the game should be played. Do you see St. Kierans dominating the Harty teams & AI Colleges and KK struggling at minor, U-20 and senior.

My only grudge is towards how poor this management are managing the Cork U-20's over a 2 year period, prove otherwise!

Calling it a lie is a stretch. Re-read your own posts in this thread — every reply has been another name who should have been picked or another selection that was wrong. If summarising that back is a "concoction" then we're not having the same conversation.

I'm not going into challenge-game team sheets and who was full-back in a minor match in 2024. That's exactly the rabbit hole where forum arguments go to die. You can name a different player every week and the thread will go on forever.

"Prove otherwise" isn't really how it works. You've made the charge — that the management are poor over two years. The record is two losses in two group campaigns and two Munster semi-finals, both lost narrowly to Clare, with Cork the only team to beat Clare this year. Disappointing not to push on from the semis, yes. Poor management over two years, no.

 

[Phantom81]

overtheline

Your 'every player picked' and 'every player not picked' is some concoction that may lead to your own constitution some day but is a gross exaggeration and a lie.

Interestingly last year Fergal McCormack described Denis Fitzgerald as an animal at full-back, isn't it amazing he didn't play him in the corner. Rian O'Riordan was full-back for the minors in 2024 and he was replaced by Cian Denis O'Connor, O'Riordan makes this years panel and mainly played corner-back in those infamous challenge games you are another to glorify, while Cian Denis went off the radar like so many others. In the eyes of the management it was Cillian O'Callaghan and then it became Matthew Barrett who never before played there but of whom you dismiss as a square peg.

Losing Finn and Barry Walsh to injury but no mention of who Clare were missing the first night, the dispicable interview by Furlong, James O'Briens MOM performance in the 1st Clare game and both fiasco's surrounding him being dropped for the semi and the Craig O'Sullivan management brainfarts.

Context will not change if you have a management who repeats the same mistakes based on their stubbornness on how they see the game should be played. Do you see St. Kierans dominating the Harty teams & AI Colleges and KK struggling at minor, U-20 and senior.

My only grudge is towards how poor this management are managing the Cork U-20's over a 2 year period, prove otherwise!

Cian Denis o Connor done is cruciate in late 2024 and again in early 2026, but that’s probably Furlong and Cusack’s fault again!!!!

 

[Corkonian1]

overtheline

It is a lie! I never referred to 'every player', I referred to players who were not selected who have proved themselves and you can count them on one hand but there is no doubt they'd have made a difference rather than some players of a systematic workhorse type who lack the hurling quality required and were involved. You don't seem to realise how much percentages count in matches and either did the management when they axed James O'Brien. You don't think O'Brien had a part in getting Cork to a Munster semi because you feel it's imperative to stick up for the management at all cost and you can't see they learned nothing from last year and only brought Cork to the same stage as 2025. Dropping James O'Brien was a ludicrous decision. The fiasco regarding Craig O'Sullivan was another brainfart in the same game from the management. Two brainfarts by management in a Munster semi and you think we should celebrate them getting the squad to that stage for the 2nd year in succession. The jokeshop is certainly expanding here! The writing was on the wall for a long time and the chickens came home to roost in the Munster semi regarding this management. Deny all you like!

Phantom81

Your insinuations are really pitiful but keep digging!

 

[overtheline]

overtheline

It is a lie! I never referred to 'every player', I referred to players who were not selected who have proved themselves and you can count them on one hand but there is no doubt they'd have made a difference rather than some players of a systematic workhorse type who lack the hurling quality required and were involved. You don't seem to realise how much percentages count in matches and either did the management when they axed James O'Brien. You don't think O'Brien had a part in getting Cork to a Munster semi because you feel it's imperative to stick up for the management at all cost and you can't see they learned nothing from last year and only brought Cork to the same stage as 2025. Dropping James O'Brien was a ludicrous decision. The fiasco regarding Craig O'Sullivan was another brainfart in the same game from the management. Two brainfarts by management in a Munster semi and you think we should celebrate them getting the squad to that stage for the 2nd year in succession. The jokeshop is certainly expanding here! The writing was on the wall for a long time and the chickens came home to roost in the Munster semi regarding this management. Deny all you like!

Phantom81

Your insinuations are really pitiful but keep digging!

You called it a lie, I pointed to your own posts, and your response is "it is a lie!" with more exclamation marks. That's not an argument, it's volume.

Read back what I actually wrote. I never said the players you named weren't good — they all are, nobody's disputing that. I never said anyone should celebrate — I said it was a disappointing end to the year. You keep arguing with a version of my posts that isn't on the page.

Every management makes calls that don't come off. That's true of every county, every code, every year. The question is the overall body of work, and over two years this group won more than they lost, finished 2nd in the group both times, and went out narrowly to the eventual champions this year . You think that's poor management. I don't. We're going in circles and I'll leave it there.

 

[Corkonian1]

overtheline

Pointing!!! Why don't you quote my posts where I referred to 'every player' that was selected should not be there? You won't because you can't quote something that doesn't exist, it is you who needs to read back. Volume my arse and what version, your version is the 'every player' bull as well as your so-called proficiency of the Cork U-20 hurling management over the last 2 years.

You refer to the championship year ending as disappointing but simultaneously you credit the management for getting to a Munster semi 2 years in a row. The disappointing thing was the brainfarts by management and their humiliation of both James O'Brien and Craig O'Sullivan way above the result on the night and the elimination of players now you're saying are 'good' players, that is terrible management. Your attempt to cover over the brainfarts in a Munster semi by eventually stating 'every management makes calls that don't come off' is farcical but those who were blowing trumpets for the management on here all winter and last year were never going to acknowledge those decisions as the height of stupidity. As I stated the writing was on the wall and the chickens finally came home to roost that night in the Pairc.

 

[omar]

It's an honour to have the greatest selector Cork never had posting on this forum lads. An absolute privilege