Disappointment of squad omissions likely to be channelled well by Sarsfields

It’s funny how being in a bubble can make one forget that not everybody is as immersed in a subject.

On Tuesday, the Cork senior hurling squad for the Allianz Hurling League was announced. The identity of most of the 36-man panel could have been guessed with a strong degree of accuracy and there were enough rumours flying around that the marginal calls were already fairly well-known too.

But, of course, Cork support is a broad church. For instance, the fact that Luke Meade and Conor Lehane, among others, would not be part of the set-up in 2026 was noted by The Echo back in November but their absence from Tuesday’s list still brought surprise in some quarters.

It’s worth noting at this point that, at a press conference at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Monday evening, new manager Ben O’Connor made clear that there would be an open-door policy – injury or loss of form could lead to players being excluded while there is always the possibility that someone will play themselves into contention. That’s what happened a year ago for William Buckley of St Finbarr’s – while he wasn’t in the original list, he ended up being named on the bench for the last Munster SHC round-robin game at home to Waterford.

But, of course, there will be discourse and debate around who has made the initial cut – and in this regard one is inclined to take the Oscar Wilde attitude about it being better to be talked about than not.

To that end, one of the bigger points of discussion was the fact that there was no player from the county champions Sarsfields in the squad. As a headline takeaway, it certainly draws the attention but, of course, there is some nuance to it.

Sars’ Cathal McCarthy was part of Pat Ryan’s squad last year but injury kept him out during the national league. Then, having returned to action during the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC, he tore his cruciate ligament in the last group game against Glen Rovers and missed the latter stages – in 2024, a shoulder problem kept him sidelined until the Riverstown club’s AIB Munster Club SHC campaign.

McCarthy is targeting the start of the county championship for his return – were he fully fit, then he would almost certainly be involved.

Another Sars man, Daniel Hogan, was part of the extended panel last year and briefly featured during the league. While his omission from the 47-man squad in operation in December and January might seem harsh, especially as he was their best player in the Munster club championship loss to a Ballygunner side that would go on to provincial and national glory, three other Sars attackers were afforded opportunities against UCC and in the Munster hurling league.

Unfortunately for Jack O’Connor, Cian Darcy and Colm McCarthy, the management felt that others wore more worthy of selection at this moment. Another Sars attacker, teenager Barry O’Flynn, briefly featured away to Limerick when a shortage of players forced Cork further down the depth chart – he is still U20 and will definitely earn future chances.

Naturally, there will be disappointment in Sars; there is a pride that comes with having players in the county set-up. However, one senses that manager Johnny Crowley and coach Diarmuid O’Sullivan, being the shrewd operators that they are, will seek to turn the situation into a positive.

In 2021, having been left off the Cork panel, Conor Lehane was a driving force as Midleton – coached by Ben O’Connor – regained the Seán Óg Murphy Cup and the Sars cohort are likely to use their disappointment as motivation.

That emotional factor can help them and then there is the tangible, practical benefit to having the whole squad to work with, throughout the year. Sars – not beaten by a club side in the championship since losing to St Finbarr’s in 2022 – were already favourites; that status is only likely to have been strengthened.