Cork hurling fans know attitude is as important as talent for championship

IN the last two seasons, the Cork hurlers reached the knockout stages of the league but didn't feature at Croke Park later in the year.

As frustrating as aspects of Saturday's loss to Kilkenny were, in on-the-field terms the result itself won't matter provided Cork learn from their errors. Going down by a point on home turf hurt. But they won a host of tight games last spring, including an eight-point comeback in the Páirc against Limerick, and were still edged out in the Munster championship by the narrowest of margins.

Off the field, dropping into the second tier of the revamped league isn't ideal, as Saturday night under lights against Kilkenny is slightly more appealing than hosting Westmeath. 

Pat Ryan and selectors' focus though must be on getting the team's style and balance between pace and power, youth and experience, spot on when the real stuff starts in April.

Attracting 16,274 for a league game shows the draw of the Cork hurlers and why meaningful success will go a long way towards alleviating the crippling debt associated with SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

SLUGGISH

The opening 20-plus minutes last weekend were shocking from a Cork perspective. Kilkenny's work-rate was commendable but the Rebels were stuck to the floor, passing the sliotar needlessly around the defence. To their credit, Tommy O'Connell, especially, Seán Twomey, and the Downeys showed the required urgency, but it was hugely disappointing for the fans to see their side pushed around so easily.

Once Cork started moving possession quicker and supplying the forwards, they hurled well, helped by the energy the subs brought. 

Ger Millerick was especially influential with his tackling and by hoovering up breaks in defence, while Ethan Twomey and Shane Barrett were forceful, and Mark Coleman's first inter-county appearance since June 2022, was a massive lift.

Twomey's ball-winning in attack offered a critical out instead of running the sliotar through the lines and Conor Lehane's 0-4 was a classic showcase of his brilliance as a shooter. 

Eoin Roche has looked the part in both games so far as a sticky corner-back in the mould of his fellow Bride Rovers club man Brian Murphy.

Cork would have won the game if they'd more clinical with goal chances or if Shane Kingston and Patrick Horgan had scored from play. By the same token, Patrick Collins, Niall O'Leary and O'Connell had to pull off some critical interceptions to snuff off the Cats in the square.

Cork have only hurled in bursts to date but we must remember the only real barometer of success comes in the championship.

Waterford are next up on Leeside and certainly a victory there is important. The last two games are away to Wexford and Offaly. We'll get a better idea of what the championship team will look like at that juncture, especially as the likes of Seamie Harnedy, Darragh Fitzgibbon, the Cahalanes and Alan Connolly become available.

Whoever the management put into the starting 15, they'll need the right attitude, which puts Twomey and O'Connell front and centre right now.