Have Cork hurlers sorted full-back line for summer or should they go horses for courses?

Cork travelled up to face Limerick on Saturday night and lost their unbeaten record, yet no one in the Cork camp should be overly upset at the result.

The Rebels ended up losing by eight points but considering the experimental line-up, it was an entertaining and insightful game.

They will be expected to return to winning ways against already-relegated Offaly, thereby securing another league final berth. Victory at the Gaelic Grounds wasn't important but the lessons learned from the experience could be.

The concession of the three goals was certainly a negative. The second goal stemmed from an extremely loose Tim O’Mahony pass that you imagine he would not attempt in the championship. The third came from a penalty that should never have been given. 

Those two goals effectively decided the game, with Cork well in it up to then, against what was close to Limerick’s championship 15.

The first goal was of more interest as it involved Shane O’Brien getting past Dáire O’Leary before he planted it past Patrick Collins. A lot of people may have been critical of the Watergrasshill man here, but there is little a full-back can do with the black-card rule in place and the number of steps attackers take. 

Other than that, O’Leary did well. He has performed solidly at three throughout the campaign, but there is still a lot of chatter about whether he has the position nailed down.

And the answer to that question could well be 'it depends'.

It could come down to the opposition. Cork have to play four very difficult games to get out of Munster. Squad strength is important and there's no reason why the same principle does not apply when it comes to the full-back line.

Different counties set up differently, requiring certain defensive attributes from game to game.

Limerick invariably go with the two-man full forward line with someone like Peter Casey drifting around the place in a free role. They tend not to launch a lot of high ball into that full-forward line, preferring to hit crisp diagonal ball towards Aaron Gillane and Shane O’Brien instead.

Clare can be very different, as they are likely to send the likes of Peter Duggan around the house and drop high ball on top to expose any weaknesses aerially.

Waterford have Sean Walsh and Mikey Kiely for that job.

Dáire O’Leary might be suited to those types of forwards but perhaps there is a world where you go with tighter, natural man-markers against Tipp and Limerick. Perhaps a combo of Sean O’Donoghue, Ger Millerick and Niall O’Leary.

HORSES FOR COURSES

The answer to Cork’s full-back issue might be a job-share solution.

Going 'horses for courses' would keep your rivals guessing as they might not necessarily know who they are lining up against from game to game.

And yellow cards will happen too in the modern game, so it just has to be accepted that whoever starts at full- or corner-back, may not finish in the position. 

Multiple options are required to mind the house.

Both of the Downeys and Ciáran Joyce could well see time there, especially if they are marking someone like Duggan or Gearoid Hegarty and they drift in.

Eoin Roche was playing very well on Saturday before he had to go off with an injury.

The Bride Rovers man is the kind of defender that you often don’t notice, and in many respects that is a huge compliment. He rarely gets cleaned out and just goes about his business with a quiet authority.

He is certainly another live option for championship minutes.