Cork hurling: Pat Ryan happy with pre-season work despite Limerick postponement

CORK are awaiting the new date for their Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League clash with Limerick after the game was postponed yesterday.

The opening match of the pre-season competition had been set for a 2pm throw-in in Mallow but a heavy blanket of fog over the North Cork town had not cleared. 

With no possibility of arranging an alternative at such short notice, provincial chiefs were left with no option but to call the game off.

Clare face Limerick in Clarecastle on Wednesday night while Cork are due to face the Banner in Páirc Uí Rinn next Sunday, meaning that the following midweek is the likeliest setting. 

While Cork have a number of players involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup, which begins the same week, neither UCC or MTU Cork are in action in the first round of fixtures, easing worries regarding congestion.

“I’ve no idea what the plan is,” said Cork manager Pat Ryan.

“I suppose it will be rearranged. I think Limerick are playing Clare next Wednesday night so it won't be on next week. 

"And we're playing Clare next Sunday, so I assume it will be after that.

“Things are going well enough otherwise. We're happy enough with what fellas are doing and where fellas are going. 

We would have had a strong enough team out today and there were maybe 14 or 15 fellas who were fit to go as well but they trained this morning instead.” 

With the Allianz Hurling League due to begin in early February, Ryan and his selectors are keen to use the Munster competition to shape their squad.

“We'll be nailing down a settled panel as quickly as we can,” he said.

“Whoever is playing well in training will be starting. That's the way we plan to do it this year a bit more.

“We probably gave out a lot of game-time last year, so it will be up to fellas to play well in training to get on the team.” 

RELIEF

In terms of injuries, the landscape is brightening.

“We're good enough,” Ryan said. “Obviously, a couple of lads had operations. Mark [Coleman] had his operation and then he was away, so he's back in running all the time now. 

"Tim O'Mahony is back in running and Alan Connolly is back in running so they should all be ready to go for the start of the league.

“We'll make sure that they're ready to go first because there are two league games coming up quickly on the 4th [of February] and 10th. They'll be back training fully with us at this stage.

“Those games might come too early for them but I assume that the Waterford game on the 25th is one that they'll all be eligible for.” 

DEPTH

Beyond the retirement of Alan Cadogan, Cork can call on every other member of the 2023 panel. 

Thirty-five-year-old Patrick Horgan is the oldest member of the panel but Ryan says there was no need to convince him to return.

“No, Hoggy is flying,” he said, “he's in great shape. “He's amazing really. He's faster now I'd say than what he was when he was 23 or 24. 

His numbers in training and all that type of stuff are excellent. We're delighted with him.

“Obviously with himself, Séamus [Harnedy] and a couple of the older lads, you want to give them every chance to be right by the time the championship comes around.

“Their performances speak for themselves. We're not keeping anyone around to be helping out in the background. 

"We have enough fellas for that. And they don't want that anyway themselves.

“Performances are what we're looking for from them all the time. They were probably our two best players against Limerick last year so there's not a bother with them."