Ignore the ridiculous rumour mill, here are three key questions for Ben O'Connor and Cork hurling going forward
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Cork manager Ben O'Connor has been heavily criticised since the loss to Galway, with unfair speculation about his future. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
There's no escaping the spotlight when you're the Cork hurling manager.
While the two teams that beat them this year, Limerick and Galway, gear up for the All-Ireland final, the fallout from the Rebels' latest loss at Croke Park rumbles on.
This week, the rumour mill went into overdrive, with Ben O'Connor's future being questioned and endless speculation about issues behind the scenes that undermined them. It's been quickly forgotten that Cork won five of their six league games and all four round-robin matches in Munster. They'd a very consistent season overall, albeit they lost the league and Munster finals.
In succeeding Pat Ryan, O'Connor was tasked with guiding Cork up the steps of the Hogan Stand, so anything less than that was going to be heavily criticised. It was a huge ask in the first season of a three-year term, especially as Liam MacCarthy hasn't been lifted by a Cork man since 2005.
Last Sunday, the final service was held at St Augustine's in Cork city.
The base of a chalice in the church includes one of Christy Ring's medals. A regular massgoer when he lived on Grand Parade, Ring donated his eight All-Ireland medal in 1954. His other seven All-Ireland medals are in the GAA museum.
Cork were a relentless force in Ring's era but since Ben O'Connor was born in 1979, the All-Ireland has only been captured six times. O'Connor delivered in three of those victories.
While Cork has a deep, rich hurling history, they haven't regularly landed the big prize in the modern era. That's not to say Cork shouldn't regularly challenge for All-Irelands, just to remind everyone they're extremely hard-earned.
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Whatever about losing, to be swept aside in the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final in a manner that mirrored last July's collapse against Tipp was bitterly disappointing for everyone. There's no escaping that. Like last year, when there was a wild WhatsApp being shared about a dressing room bust-up, the county is looking for easy answers.
O'Connor is as fiery and driven a character as a manager as he was an All-Star forward but there are some key questions that need to be answered before Cork regroup for 2027.
Yes, there's hype whenever the Rebels are motoring well and a sense of desperation to end that wait of 22 years and counting for Liam MacCarthy, but Cork simply have to be tougher to beat.
To give the management credit, that was clearly an area they targeted in the Munster campaign and they conceded less that previous season. Even with Ciarán Joyce out injured, their defence was fairly tight.
However, that approach didn't insulate them on Jones Road. With the opposition pulling bodies deep, there was too much space around the Cork backline and scores dried up at the other end.
They've to find a way to improve tactically to cope mentally when the heat cranks up.
Four new faces made serious inroads this summer, William Buckley, Alan Walsh, Hugh O'Connor and Barry Walsh but only one of them started against Galway. Ultimately, the core of the Rebels beaten in back-to-back All-Ireland finals were on the starting grid at Croker and that had to be a factor in their championship exit, particularly their struggles to secure puck-outs.
It was all too predictable for Galway to shut down, especially when they limited Brian Hayes.
Who inside and outside the squad can make a difference in 2027? Where are the new defensive options? Will they give Paudie O'Sullivan a chance to challenge Patrick Collins for the goalie spot?
No easy answers there...
An experienced addition to the backroom could give Cork a coaching edge and a new perspective.
An honest review of the set-up, from team selection to in-game switches and from messaging to players to their training load, must be taken.
App?
