Ben O'Connor: Winning the league is the best preparation for championship

Ben O’Connor’s Cork senior debut came a year after the county’s last national hurling league win.

Along with many other graduates of the All-Ireland U21 wins of 1997 and 1998, the Newtownshandrum man was part of the 1999 senior victory and collected two further Celtic Crosses in 2004 (as captain) and 2005.

The lack of further league success was not necessarily an impediment to championship performance but then plenty of the squad had the All-Ireland experience to call upon. As is well-documented, such accolades are lacking on the current squad’s honours lists and so O’Connor feels that a league win would be the ideal lead-in to the real thing.

“I think you go out to win every game and try to win the league,” said O'Connor, who will feature in the new series of Laochra Gael with his twin brother Jerry on March 6.

“There are two competitions you play for every year – the league and championship. Win the league, put that to bed and go after the next one then. I think there's definitely something to be said about it. You have competitive games.

“You look at the teams that don't get to the league final, they're looking for challenge matches that weekend. Why not have a proper competitive match? That's my take.

“Once there's a couple of weeks in between, I think it's fine. All counties have big panels now so every fella has game time. It's ideal to blood fellas as well.”

As an All-Ireland U21 winner as a player and then managing the U20 side to victory two years ago, O’Connor knows that success at that grade can provide a strong platform. That said, it is not something that can be taken as a guaranteed indicator of further silverware at senior.

“Winning an U20, what will you get out of it? You're lucky if you get one or two,” he said.

“There's such a big step up. When I started, you'd get out of minor at 18 so there was a chance you could be playing senior the following year at 19. Now, the chances of that happening are slim, bar you're six foot three or four and fully grown.

“But still, you're in the shop window if you're winning minors and U20s at least. The carrot is in front of those young fellas to keep pushing at this and to try and get up to play senior. If they can win a minor or an U20 and they see that it's enjoyable and they're getting a lot out of it, they'll try an extra little bit to go on and play senior.

“Look, they know themselves that not every one of them is going to go on to play senior. But it's the carrot that we have in front of them to try. Look, this is what's in front of you if you're good enough.”

One of the alumni of the 2023 U20 win is Ballinhassig’s Darragh O’Sullivan, who looks set to be given game-time in the league campaign.

O’Connor certainly vouches for his credentials – and dismisses any notion that size might count against him.

“He's a great bit of stuff,” he said.

“He was corner-back for us because we needed a corner-back but Darragh is probably better out the field as well. I can assure you that Darragh is doing everything in training to get himself on the training panel first of all, and then the 26 after that.

“Was Tommy Walsh big enough? If you're good enough, you're big enough. If you're good enough, you're old enough. If you're able to play ball, you're able to play ball. With the way referees are being dictated to now, there's hardly a bang.

“If there's a shoulder slightly off, there's a free given for it. No matter what size you are, if you have the ball in your hand, you're in control and you're the boss. Size makes no difference and age makes no difference once you're good enough.

“That's been the way from year dot and it's right up to now as well.”