Offaly clash gives Cork hurlers chance to rotate

The Cork hurlers have one last round of action before a potential league final – likely against Limerick – to take place. If Cork are to be certain of their chance to retain the spring silverware they claimed in 2025, they’ll have to first bring down a winless and already relegated Offaly team this Saturday at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

This campaign was always going to be a tough one for the Faithful on their return to the top flight, given the seven team Division 1A setup. With the level of opposition that they’ve faced, no one anticipated that Offaly would pick up a victory in any of their games, but the Faithful were expected to at least compete.

With the exception of their first round outing against Kilkenny where they lost by only four points, they’ve failed to do that. Kilkenny themselves have not had a great league season either, they’re fortunate not to be facing the drop – Waterford should have beaten them in Nowlan Park – but that’s the Déise’s own doing.

Offaly are a youthful side at present, their U20 All-Ireland winning group makes up a large cohort of the squad, and it’s clear they’re trying to build their future around the stars of that team. While All-Ireland titles might remain out of reach, in two or three years there is no reason they shouldn’t be capable of contending with the best in Leinster.

But there have been a few issues to date. Their injury woes are one – they’ve had countless key players out at various stages. Newly appointed captain Charlie Mitchell has missed the entire league season, along with Ciarán Burke, Jason Sampson and Shane Rigney.

And they’ve not been the only absentees. Donal Shirley missed the defeats to Waterford and Tipperary, Eoghan Cahill went off injured against Galway and didn’t feature in the defeat to Limerick, while Ross and Dan Ravenhill both missed their meeting with the Tribesmen, and that was the game when they got Killian Sampson back.

Eimhin Kelly, Ter Guinan and David Nally have been absent at various stages too, while Ben Miller missed their last clash with Limerick, though is expected to return in time for Saturday. Factor in all of those injury struggles, it’s no surprise that they’ve struggled to compete in the top tier, but it will stand to them.

Johnny Kelly is in his fourth season in charge of the team. How they fare in this year’s All-Ireland Championship remains to be seen, but getting out of Leinster will be the objective for the Faithful county. Whether they’ve got the tools to pull it off though, that’s a different matter.

It is unfair to judge Offaly based on what they’ve shown in the league this year, but there have been a few questionable tactical decisions. Against Waterford they went with a two-man inside full-forward line of Brian Duignan and Adam Screeney, and posted Brecon Kavanagh as a sweeper.

And while Kavanagh did well in curtailing the influence of the Waterford long-ball in, having just two inside is precisely why the Faithful failed the get anything from that contest. Despite only losing by six against Waterford, their 0-16 was the joint-worst tally that they have posted in the league so far.

Screeney is a gifted hurler. He’s shown it at U20 level, he’s shown it at club level and he’s shown it in the Fitzgibbon Cup with UL. Give him space – and time if you dare – and he will cause havoc. That is the level of skill he possesses.

But playing him in a two-man inside line seems counter-intuitive. He’s only managed 0-8 from play in their Division 1A games so far in four of a possible five starts.

Despite some of the quality that Offaly have on paper, it feels as though since winning the Joe McDonagh Cup title in 2024, they’ve not been able the fully tap in to the potential that’s there. This season has been made more difficult as a result of their player availability struggles, no doubt. But that plays perfectly into Cork hands heading into the final round.

Offaly’s struggles can only be Cork’s gains. There are four players that were named in Ben O’Connor’s league panel – Darragh O’Sullivan, Brion Saunderson, Ben Cunningham and Padraig Power – that are yet to see league minutes. This is their one final opportunity to do so without stake prior to championship.

Whether they see minutes or not, will be decided. But this is the best opportunity that O’Connor is going to get to give them a run, and it would be an opportunity worth taking.