Meyler bolsters hurling panel with the return of Murphy and the addition of young guns like Millerick and Downey

CORMAC MURPHY from Mallow has joined Stephen McDonnell and Aidan Walsh in the list of players who have been brought back into the Cork hurling squad for the new season.

The Rebels return to action with two games against Clare and Waterford at the end of December and early January in the Munster League.

Daniel Dooley from Bride Rovers is a new addition to the squad, while Ballinhassig keeper Ger Collins, Glen Rovers’ Robert Downey, and Fr O’Neill’s Ger Millerick are among the younger brigade who have also received the call-up and will feature in the Munster League.

St Finbarr’s Conor Cahalane, the Rockies’ Michael O’Halloran, and Clonakilty’s David Lowney have also been brought in by team boss John Meyler and his management team.

“We looked at the panel and we looked at players that would bring something different to the thing, Meyler told the Evening Echo.

“I spoke to Stephen McDonnell and he has given a commitment for next year, Cormac Murphy played really well in the intermediate final against Kilkenny, he’s in, Aidan Walsh is in and then I have brought in a few of the minors of 2017.

“Downey, Millerick, and Ger Collins, we are trying to get them in year one of the Development, and to keep them within the panel and to develop them, something that we have done over the last two years with Mark Coleman, Shane Kingston, and Darragh Fitzgibbon.

“We start training on the first of December, so they are part of that training panel and there to develop in the senior set-up.”

Meyler revealed too that the younger players like Midleton’s Sean O’Leary-Hayes, Brian Turnbull from Douglas, and Na Piarsaigh’s Evan Sheehan will be blended into the panel as time goes by.

“We’ll try and get those guys in too, keep them in the system for two or three years so that by the time they 21 or 22 they are battle-hardened and ready to go.

“There’s huge time now that has to go into player development and it will take time over two, three, four years.”

Seamus Harnedy will captain the team again with Bill Cooper retained too as vice-captain.