Three hurlers to watch out for with the Cork seniors in 2024

WHILE 2023 saw the Cork hurlers eliminated from the round robin stage of the Munster Championship, the team looked far more unified than in the previous year, and it reflected in their performances.

They improved as a team and made a big step in the right direction.

2024 will be about building on that, and there are three players I feel will be key to Cork’s development over the next few seasons, and they’ll be one’s to watch next year.

Ethan Twomey 

Twomey caught the eye this year after making the step-up from the U20s, playing very well when he featured in the league. At times you could see the inter-county inexperience in his game, but I think he certainly did well.

What stood out for me, was his cameo against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds. It was brief, but he looked settled and played his part in Cork’s late surge.

He’s got serious potential, and I’m excited to see what strides he can make in the coming season. He was one of St Finbarr’s best players in their PSHC run, and I can see him being a key player within the next couple of years if he stays on track.

Shane Barrett 

Shane had an interesting 2023 season to say the least.

He started off with some very strong performances in the league for Cork, scoring four from play against Galway, 1-2 against Westmeath, three points against Wexford and a further three against Kilkenny in the semi-final.

He looked a sure starter for Championship, and it was no surprise that he was in the 15 for Waterford. He did enough to start against Tipperary but lost his place for the next round against Clare, and was named a substitute again against Limerick.

With only one point to his tally, it certainly didn’t end in the way that Barrett would have wanted, but he bounced back in style. For me, he was easily the best player in Senior A this year.

Barrett was outstanding for Blarney, scoring a staggering 1-69 across eight games and was the championship top scorer, with an average of 10.28 points per game. If you include the first semi-final with Bride Rovers, his total rises to 1-76.

He had a difficult championship campaign with Cork, but the way he bounced back was remarkable.

I have no doubt that he’s going to carry that into the inter-county season next year, and I believe he’ll be a key forward for Cork if he can bring the incredible pace and accuracy from his club campaign with him.

Brion Saunderson 

Saunderson has had an incredible season. The Cork U20s goalkeeper was outstanding between the posts in their All-Ireland success, with his puck-outs the standout of his game.

Given that puck-outs were an issue for Cork in 2023, it’s almost a given that he’ll be involved in some capacity during the league next season. It will be interesting to see how performs after making the step up to senior, but Brion’s performances with Midleton this year will certainly fill the 20-year-old with confidence.

He was great during their county success in 2021, but he raised his game to a new level this year. He played three games, against Sarsfields, St Finbarr’s and Blackrock, making some huge saves to go with his quality puckouts, with not a single goal conceded.

He’s cool under pressure and has the potential to be Cork’s number one for a long time.