Cork hurling selector on winning the league, puck-out tactics and training trip to Portugal
Cork coach Donal O'Rourke, centre, and selector Brendan Coleman, right. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
There are many stock answers available to management for the question: What do you want to get out of the League?
Acceptable responses include: blooding new prospects, getting game time into players, nailing down your starting 15, and tuning up for that championship opener.
But Cork hurling selector Brendan Coleman is unambiguous in his ambition. “We’re trying to win it,” he says plainly.
The Youghal clubman was on the outskirts of the county panel in 1998 the last time the League title came to Leeside. When he was called up in 1999, the squad had that muscle memory of winning national silverware and All-Ireland glory followed that September.
“That's the way any time you win national trophies,” he explains. “It might be a bit brash to say that we want to win the League but you can see what it does for the Cork public, even last year when we won nothing.
That trophy can fuel all those other ambitions of squad development, team selection, and championship preparation.
“The data tells us over the last few years between John Kiely and Brian Lohan that you can do both,” continues Coleman.
“We feel we have big depth in our panel. The Fitzgibbon guys, we won't see much of them for the next couple of weeks, but after that, we have loads of competition.
“The more games we can get, the more we can test the depth of our panel. We'll be looking to bring five, six, seven lads up to speed and then you're in a very, very good place going into Ennis in April.”
Having come so close to the summit, how did they react since that agonising All-Ireland final defeat against Clare?
“You're trying to take the learnings from that both from the mental aspect of it and the tactical aspect of it,” says Coleman.
“December to now has been really just looking back at all the good stuff and all the stuff where we've areas for growth.
“Then, you're looking at one or two things in terms of the shape of your team from last year. We'll try those in the early games, we'll see where we are, and we'll take it from there.”
Another change concerns the pre-championship training camp.
Between their last League games away to Clare and home to Galway, Pat Ryan’s charges will be heading to Portugal for some warm-weather preparation.
“We were in West Kerry last year and we were frozen so Pat has done great work there in getting local business support for a few pounds to go to it,” says Coleman.
“It's important and it's good for the players. They get into that professional environment where we get five days out there, whereas it was a long weekend in Dingle and you don't get as much done.
“That's four or five weeks out from the Munster Championship so if we're still in the League at that stage, it'll be even better.”
They are currently carrying a panel of 44 players which will be cut to 36 in a fortnight.
The Sarsfields trio of Jack O’Connor, Cathal McCarthy and Daniel Hogan returned to training on Tuesday, two days after their All-Ireland Club final defeat.
“Pat is adamant that they come in. Jack has been in for a few years but Daniel and Cathal... in terms of trying to give them opportunities, if we give them those three weeks off, their fitness can slip,” says Coleman.
“There are natural breaks between League games so I think Pat and Ian (Jones) have earmarked weeks or two off within that. But for now, they'll come in.
“Sometimes it's a blessing. Obviously, it's a huge disappointment for them after what the club have gone through. But at the same time, it's a different environment.
“Let them get in and get stuck in and we'll give them the necessary rest.
“It is difficult.
“We've seen other teams and the likes of Conor Glass, for instance. It's a balance but you just try and do your best because the season, once it starts, will go by very quickly.”
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