John Horgan on hurling: Cork must use the league to develop better options for summer

IT'S been a long wait since we last saw the Cork hurlers in action in a competitive game.

It was the 28th of May 2023 to be exact when Limerick got home by the bare minimum, 3-25 to 1-30 in round four of the Munster championship, an outcome that ended Cork's championship interest for the year.

So, it could be said that Pat Ryan and his management team have had seven months to prepare for the opening game in this season's NHL which begins on Sunday in Cusack Park against a Clare team that is again managed by former great, Brian Lohan.

Historically, Cork teams in all grades have found the Ennis venue a difficult place to get anything from and the hurlers' last visit there in the Munster campaign ended in a one-point loss.

As it was against Limerick, it was a case of so near and yet so far, another illustration of the fierce intensity that exists now in the provincial arena where the margin for error is minimal.

Cork and Clare have already had one joust this season, a victory for Cork in the only game that they played in the Munster League in Páirc Uí Rinn but that result is very unlikely to have any bearing on the league opener on Sunday.

Both sides are likely to be much changed, Clare probably a lot more so.

We don't have the starting 15s but as with every opening game of the competitive season, there is plenty of speculation regarding the names that will be on the match programme.

When a Clare team has taken the field in recent years the star attraction has been Tony Kelly, one of the great players of the modern era, but he will be marked absent this time because of injury.

All genuine followers will be hoping that he's back in action for the championship because he is a hurler of pure class.

Much is expected from Clare this season because no other team has had the measure of Limerick as much as they have had in recent times but they still have nothing to show for it.

Their encounters in Munster over the past two seasons have been memorable with the Banner men going into the Gaelic Grounds twice in 2023, defeating the country's best team at the group stage of the campaign but with Limerick reversing the result shortly afterwards in the final when a late foul on Kelly was not given.

Clare subsequently came up short by three points against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final but that championship campaign as a whole has given supporters in the county genuine reason that better things might be on the horizon this time.

Kelly, of course, will be a considerable loss over the five group games in the league but the form of Aidan McCarthy in that Munster League game with Sunday's opponents had to be seen as very encouraging, pre-season game or not.

John Conlon is again going to be a key figure over the next couple of months and after last season this is a team that you would have to rate very highly.

Nobody knows the intentions of the 12 team managers that will oversee matters in the secondary competition, some might want to deliver the ultimate prize more than others but it's fair to say all will want to get off to a positive start this weekend.

Whilst Cork's year ended prematurely last time out and failure to not being one of the three counties to emerge from the province into the All-ireland series was big blow.

At the same time their contribution to another memorable Munster campaign was very positive, losing by just a point to both Clare and Limerick in two outstanding games of hurling.

Both were on away soil but this time the two best teams in the province will be travelling to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the two championship games.

There is a belief out there that Cork are in a stronger position this time to be one of the leading contenders for silverware and that is based on the success story of the under-20 teams in winning three of the last four All-lreland titles.

Therefore, in terms of of potential and young talent coming through, they should be in a very good place.

Outside of Alan Cadogan, the rest of last season's squad are still there although the absence of Deccie Dalton for the foreseeable future is a setback.

Two of Cork's best performers last season were veterans, Patrick Horgan and Seamie Harnedy and their vast experience must be tapped into by the younger players that may get the nod from Pat Ryan.

There is no doubt that the management look to have a strong hand to deal from with the experience of many alongside the younger talent.

One of the great success stories of those U20 winning teams has been Ciarán Joyce who has fitted in with great aplomb in the number six jersey.

For one so young he is now a leader in this Cork hurling set-up and one that could, quite easily, be at home in any role, defence or attack as the great Brian Corcoran used to be.

Getting others to step up to the plate like he has will be uppermost in Pat Ryan's plans. More certainty and consistency will be required too in the other pivotal positions and having a centre- and full-forward that are going to be automatic choices needs to be a priority.

Given the structure of the championship now one does not really know what to expect from the league.

From a Cork viewpoint we must see some of the younger talent getting enough game time as it moves along and being given the opportunity of putting themselves in the frame for the Munster championship.

In last season's league, Cork showed a lot of battling qualities in a number of games, recovering well to secure the victory against Limerick, in particular, when they were eight points in arrears at one stage.

Sunday in Cusack Park has the potential to provide us with a fine opening to the campaign with Clare maybe going in as slight favourites because of home advantage.

But as always the only great certainty about league games in Winter and early Spring is the uncertainty and one week can be very different from the next.

Most of all, though, if you are going to give youth its fling it should be about building up confidence.

We will know a small bit more when the team selection is revealed and how it performs in what is likely to be a very testing away atmosphere.