Cork hurlers still have some issues in forward line
Brian Hayes of Cork is tackled by Richie Lawlor of Wexford. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
Despite announcing an extremely strong 37-man panel for the 2025 campaign the recent injuries sustained by various forwards in and around the Cork panel were a reminder of how quickly a season can go pear-shaped.
You cannot help feeling the panel is more vulnerable now after the injuries to Padraig Power, Conor Lehane, Ben Cunningham and Seamus Harnedy, as well as the recent releasing of the likes of Alan Walsh, Conor Cahalane and Sean Twomey from the squad.
Lehane and Harnedy are expected back, but their knocks are an illustration of how fragile the Cork attacking options are, with particular emphasis here being in the ball-winning department. It must also be noted that the season is much more compact now, due to the nature of the split season, and therefore injury crisis’ can really kill a season if they occur at the wrong time.
Despite coming so close to winning the All-Ireland last year there were clear work-ons for Pat Ryan and his managerial team from that defeat. Examples were the ease at which Clare were able to run at the Cork full-back line, how the Cork puck-out strategy was easily neutralised by Brian Lohan’s side, and another big one was the lack of a Plan B for when the half-forward line needs replacing late on.
Seamus Harnedy, Shane Barrett and Declan Dalton had wonderful campaigns in 2024 but it is unrealistic to expect them to last 70 minutes in every championship game given the energy levels and the movement and work-rate that is required.
This led to Limerick almost catching them in the semi-final and struggling to win ball in the final when the championship was in the melting pot.
The current make-up of the panel shows there are ample talented attacking players who are well able to hurt teams on the scoreboard and run at opposition defenders with their pace, but winning dirty ball might not be the best attribute of some of these players. Cork cannot be ending matches with too many similar types, as has been the case down the years. There needs to be a balance to the Cork attack at both the first and final whistles.
It might well be the case that these half-forward reinforcements are already within the panel and that it might just take a bit of rejigging to make it work.
You could imagine Alan Walsh playing the Hayes role inside, if the Barrs man moved out, but he didn't make the final cut for the panel.
Given his goalscoring antics in the Fitzgibbon Cup for MTU it would be no great surprise if the Kanturk attacker was called back in over the next few weeks.
Deploying Darragh Fitzgibbon in the half-forward line is also worth a look, even if that is only for small portions of games. Defences certainly would not want the problem of dealing with the All-Star midfielder running at them closer to goal.
Such a switch would also open up the possibility of Mark Coleman being looked at as a midfield option, as it might help Cork get their best 15 hurlers on the pitch at crucial stages in tight matches.
Robbie O’Flynn can play in the half-forward too, obviously, but it does appear that he was very much seen as a full-forward option by Ryan in the last two campaigns when he has been fit. And with Power now out for the season he is needed there.
Lisgoold’s Diarmuid Healy is an obvious fit for one of these roles, but given that he has yet to see any game-time in the league it is a big ask to expect him to play such a pivotal role on the Cork team this year.
The likes of Brian Roche, Ethan Twomey and Tommy O’Connell might emerge as options too, but the smart money is on Healy being the most likely to make an impact here, as well as the likes of Hayes and Fitzgibbon to be double jobbing this year.
Finding the right solution to this issue, or not, could end up defining Cork’s year.
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