John Horgan on hurling: Fixture list in Munster could put Cork under pressure early next year

Advantage or disadvantage? That is the question to ask regarding the fixture scheduling for the group stage of the Munster hurling championship.

Much water will flow under all the bridges in the province before the 2027 campaign but we've been made aware that Cork's opening two games will be on away turf, against the All-Ireland champions Limerick, be followed by a trip to Cusack Park to take on Clare.

Obviously, Waterford and Tipperary will be next on the agenda at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh which brings us back to our original question: Is it an advantage or a disadvantage of having to play your opening assignments away from home on grounds where nothing has ever come easy?

There are a couple of ways at looking at it. In any group stage, the perception is that your opening game is hugely important; lose it and a bit of pressure is immediately exerted.

Defeat in the second one and that pressure is increased substantially, which means, of course in the Munster championship it's nearly imperative that you come out on top in the two home games that follow. And if that is what transpires, you'll almost certain to qualify for the All-Ireland series.

In fact, a win and a draw might still get you through.

In the case of Cork next season, if they were to lose to Limerick and Clare there still would not be a reason to press the panic button but the margin for error would have been increased quite a lot. Nobody is saying that Cork are going to lose those opening games and the only thing to say right now is that they are potentially two very tough opening games.

There is an ongoing conversation about the current state of play where hurling is concerned and former Cork boss John Meyler is currently heading up a review committee similar to what Jim Gavin did with Gaelic football.

You've no doubt with Meyler at the helm there will be plenty of positivity emanating from their deliberations.

Yes, the season of inter-county hurling that concluded with Limerick reigning supreme again did not reach the standards of past campaigns and it would be fair to say that the football championship overshadowed it by quite some distance.

Epic

The victories of Mayo and, to a lesser extent, Wicklow in the Tailteann Cup were hugely emotional occasions, Mayo for the entire country and Wicklow winning their first ever national trophy.

Some people might scoff at the Tailteann Cup but it serves a great purpose for counties like Wicklow. And their final triumph over Down was something to be savoured by all including this observer.

While it didn't ignite to the levels of the past this time, the Munster hurling championship is still the competition that continues to enthrall and the current format is the best.

That applies in Leinster too and, arguably, the championship in that province bettered its Munster counterpart this season.

Yes, there are issues to be debated with hurling, the handpass, in particular, needs to be addressed, how it is properly executed, when is it a throw or not.

Head high tackles are becoming more prevalent too and dangerous ones must be properly punished, the punishment must fit the crime.

Has the time come for a hooter to signal the end of a game, similar to what is is in football, greater focus on the number of steps taken by players which can ultimately decide a game must be looked at too.

Tough

No sport is perfect, rules change, need to be changed but the format in the provincial hurling championships should not be changed.

And last week it was very interesting to listen to the comments of Limerick star, Gearoid Hegarty in the aftermath of the presentation for Payer of the Month.

“I have heard of the argument about counties being knocked out of the championship too early, Waterford and Tipperary this year in Munster, Waterford and Clare in 2025.

“But I'd always say this, you play four games in Munster, there are only five counties competing, you get to play four games with three going through, that's 60% of the teams extending their season.

“I thought the Leinster championship this year was outstanding, maybe better than Munster. 

If you can't get out of a group where 60% of the teams go through, 50% in Leinster well then, tough.''

Sentiments that this column concurs emphatically with.

An All-Ireland B championship for those counties knocked out early has been suggested in some quarters, this season Waterford, Tipp, Kilkenny, Wexford and Kildare plus the Joe McDonagh Cup winners would have been in it. Is that worth a look at? It won't be because the Tipps and Kilkennys of this world, hurling's elite, won't be competing for a B title.

The hurling might not have been sublime this season, too many one-sided games, not nearly enough epics but that's not the fault of the format.

In the last three seasons we have had three different counties lifting the MccCarthy Cup, admittedly all from Munster and, hopefully, we'll get Cork added to that list next season.

Overdue

Yes, we'd love to see counties like Waterford, in particular and Wexford too challenging much more, two great hurling counties but with very limited success.

Now, those two have new men at the helm, Stephen Molumphy in Waterford, Derek McGrath in Wexford.

And it's certainly going to be interesting if both can embellish the fine work put in by Peter Queally and Keith Rossiter respectively.

In Waterford you have one of the greatest club teams of all time, Ballygunner still ruling the roost, 70 championship games in the county unbeaten plus Munster and All-Ireland titles. This season they have a B team competing in the senior championship as well and that side really put it up to Mount Sion recently.

But, unfortunately, one club with so many achievements through the years guarantees nothing for the intercounty team despite it supplying plenty of players.

Of course, Mayo's success this time may well have a big effect in other counties, counties going nearly as long as they went without an All-Ireland title.

They can give hope to so many others, a rising tide that raises all boats and whilst Waterford have not got out of Munster since the current format was introduced, they have always been competitive and have had some big victories on their CV.

In an interview last week in the national press, Molumphy believed that Waterford are just a percentage point or two away from becoming a real force again. And he may well be right.

Given how close Clare were to Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final, Cork will be facing two very tough assignments away from home next season.

On the evidence of this season, they'll be facing two of the easier assignments at home. But as we all know things can change dramatically from one year to the next and in Munster, home or away nothing comes easy