John Horgan: Cork's old guard led the way but fresh faces vital for 2024

A WEEK has almost passed now since the exit gate opened for the Cork hurlers and they made their departure from the Munster championship and subsequently the All-Ireland series.

Much has been spoken and written over the past few days, how fine the margins were over the course of the group stage in the province, how it could so easily have been different for Pat Ryan's team, not Limerick, progressing to a Munster final because of the events in Thurles and how their abundant character cannot be questioned.

But in any code of sport, it's all about the final outcome, it's a results-driven business and gallantry in defeat stands for nothing.

The word minefield is frequently used to describe how the group stage in Munster unfolds and that apt description certainly was the case over the past number of weeks.

In fact, since the group stage was first introduced in 2018 that has been the case and as certain as night follows day that will continue.

When the scheduling of games in Munster was revealed it could be said that Cork pulled the short straw because of the fact that their final two games were on away soil in Cusack Park and the Gaelic Grounds.

Those always potentially difficult tasks any season made it almost imperative that the maximum return was bagged from the home games against Waterford and Tipperary.

Cork went desperately close to achieving that objective but not close enough, the draw with Tipperary eventually decreeing that would be the difference between qualification and not.

Of course, we could be talking until the cows come about what might have happened, what should have happened and so on but the task was made that bit more difficult having to travel for the final two assignments.

There have been so many talking points over the past number of weeks, the hectic schedule that all the Munster counties face and how minimum the margin for error is.

Even though the game is up for Cork now where this season is concerned there has been a number of positives, most notably the never-say-die attitude that prevailed throughout the campaign from the opening day of the Munster League.

Maybe that's not much consolation now but it needs to be stated.

VITAL

A number of Cork players performed much better than others during the group stage but when push came to shove it was the old guard who stood tallest.

Patrick Horgan continues to be what he is, one of the great Cork forwards of this or any other era, and advancing years or not, it's vital that he will be on the starting block again next season.

Seamie Harnedy too and this guy is still doing the business and to put four points from play on the board last Sunday in such an absorbing and spectacular game was a superb achievement.

With the likelihood of more young guns entering the equation next time out, his presence is still essential.

Damien Cahalane was another of the older brigade that kept his end of the bargain and he performed very consistently in all his outings.

Alan Cadogan did not feature this term and injuries did not help his cause but would he have been worth 15 minutes or so coming down the stretch last Sunday? When he arrived last season against Galway he posted three points in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

We are repeating ourselves here but the absence of Robbie O'Flynn from the attack was hugely significant, an immense loss of a player who exhibited what his contribution could have been with that sublime goal against Tipperary.

Alan Connolly too would have been another major option, whether as a starter or off the bench because there is still an overreliance on Horgan and Harnedy to lead the charge upfront.

Ciaran Joyce was simply majestic in the heart of the defence and going forward he has all the qualities to be one of the best Cork hurlers for many a long day, a player with undoubted leadership qualities.

There is no doubt whatsoever that there are many young players coming through the ranks of Cork hurling who have the potential to make the desired impact.

An U20 victory over Offaly next Sunday would be another positive step forward but it must also be stated that the gap from that level to where Limerick have been at and still are is considerable.

STANDARD

In the physical stakes, the bar continues to be raised on a yearly basis and again Limerick have set that standard.

It's certainly hard to take that Carlow and Offaly, two counties who did not compete in the Leinster championship are in the All-Ireland chase and Cork are not. But that's how it has panned out and the strides being made in those two counties must be recognised.

Much has been spoken of about some of the marginal calls that did not go Cork's way last Sunday but that's the nature of the game on a yearly basis, some you get, some you don't.

So, another hurling year has come and gone for Cork in their efforts to add another All-Ireland senior title to their tally and an 18-year famine now extends into 19 since the old trophy was paraded on Leeside.

That statistic has to be concerning and, of course, there are no guarantees going forward and getting out of Munster next season might even be more difficult than it already is.

Despite not emerging this season, one might suggest that some blocks have been put in place in the rebuild and the younger players who featured will be a year older and a year wiser too.

A few of Ben O'Connor's U20s will contribute to the cause and the aforementioned players who were on the injury list plus Mark Coleman will be back.

The fluctuating fortunes of the three counties who were battling it out in the group qualification stage in Limerick and in Thurles was fascinating stuff.

At one stage it looked like Limerick were going out, then Tipp but at the end of a frenetic Sunday, it was Cork who fell by the wayside.

It could have been all so different but that's not here nor there now.