Cork hurlers need new faces for 2024: What young players are ready to step up?
Rookie Ethan Twomey impressed in his cameo against Limerick. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
CORK were a puck of a sliotar away from reaching the Munster final this season.
After beating Waterford by nine in the opener, they drew with Tipperary and then lost to Clare and Limerick by a single point. The finest of margins.
Pat Ryan's side needed to mount comebacks in three matches, five points in arrears late on against the Premier, eight behind in Ennis and seven down in the Gaelic Grounds. But they showed heart and drive and the supporters rallied behind them.
All the same, there will have to be a few changes next season after Cork fell short again. Since retaining the Munster title in 2018, Cork haven't been back to a final. They got past Clare, Dublin and Kilkenny to reach the 2021 All-Ireland but have been squeezed out otherwise in knockout games, from Kilkenny in 2019 to Tipp the following year and Galway in last year's quarter-final.
Refreshing the team won't be straightforward, however.
While Tommy O'Connell, Brian Roche and Eoin Downey were handed their first championship starts, only Roche featured against Limerick.
Cork's best two forwards this season were 35-year-old Patrick Horgan, with 2-39 in four games, and Seamus Harnedy, scorer of 0-12 and still the team's best primary ball-winner, who is 33 in July. Provided they're willing to pull on the red geansaí again in 2024, Horgan and Harnedy are bankers to feature in the championship, even if they're kept in cold storage during the league.
Damien Cahalane had a very consistent campaign at the edge of the square, defensively but also in terms of distribution and leadership. Along with Rob Downey and Ciarán Joyce, Cahalane was a pillar of the rearguard. He is 31 later in the year but has to be a mainstay again next term.
So where do Pat Ryan and the selectors turn for new faces? With the U20s meeting Offaly this weekend bidding for a third All-Ireland in four seasons, there is clearly plenty of talent.
However, as the grade dropped a year from U21 and given the S&C demands, it's more difficult than ever to make a smooth transition to senior.
Eoin Downey is already there while Ben Cunningham has been absolutely brilliant for the U20s in every outing. Diarmuid Healy, Ballinora's Shane Kingston, Tadhg O'Connell, William Buckley and Darragh O'Sullivan have all been impressive, and Ben O'Connor clearly has the tools to succeed if he doesn't go down the rugby route.
More realistic is drawing more from the U20 squads of 2020 and '21, who Pat Ryan steered to glory. Ethan Twomey had an encouraging cameo on Sunday, processing a lot of possession, while Brian Hayes and Padraig Power were very lively. Corner-back Conor O'Callaghan missed the season through injury but is also a viable option.
Plus, marquee hurlers Robbie O'Flynn, Mark Coleman and Alan Connolly will all be back. They were sorely missed at the weekend.
Everyone involved in Cork hurling and the fans are utterly frustrated to be on the outside looking in as the summer heats up.
The Rebels just have to make sure the same fate doesn't befall them in 2024.
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