John Horgan on the club players who deserve a chance with Ben O'Connor's Cork 

The elite grade of hurling in the Cork county championship has been concluded for another season.

At the outset of that campaign, there would have been some degree of optimism among the 12 participants, maybe a bit more where others were concerned.

From a neutral perspective, there were twin requirements. A championship that was fiercely contested from the group stage to the final Sunday, plus players making a significant impression on the inter-county management that would secure an audition for 2027.

There is a considerable gap between the club landscape and the much greater demands of the intercounty arena.

No matter how successful or unsuccessful the previous season was, every intercounty manager seeks to secure fresh blood, i.e. to embellish his squad of players.

Every squad changes from year to year for a host of reasons, players calling it a day, players omitted who were on board in the spring and summer months being replaced by those who caught the eye of the management during the club campaign.

Long-term injuries have to be factored in too and how the recovery process develops.

Boost

Last season, Cork lost one of their most influential players, Ciarán Joyce during the second championship outing, his absence immense. By all accounts, his recovery is going extremely well and when he returns it will be similar to what is termed across the water 'a new signing'.

We are aware, of course, that a couple of others who featured in 2026 won't be around at the start of the 2027 season, most notably Seamie Harnedy and Deccie Dalton.

Given his age profile and the length of sterling service that he has given there might not have been that much of a surprise that Harnedy called time on his Cork career. Like so many hugely influential players before him, he never got on to the Hogan Stand podium on All-Ireland final Sunday.

Patrick Horgan didn't, of course, either but medals of that sort didn't define their stellar careers and in both instances their gargantuan displays over so many seasons was not diminished.

Their legacy to Cork hurling is secure for the ages.

There might have been some surprise at Dalton's removal from the squad, age certainly could not have been a factor and he is still surely one of the best club players in the county.

Of course, a management team is far more qualified to make assessments on players, how they perform on the training ground and in-house A v B games but when a player drops out the question is always posed, are the replacements as good?

So, to the question that is annually posed by supporters in all counties, who made the biggest impression during the club season, particularly in the Premier SHC, who has the credentials to break into the inter-county plan?

It could be said that over the past couple of months on Leeside the players that impressed the most were the established ones and those no longer in the equation, players like Horgan and Conor Lehane to name just two. It takes a special player to break into the intercounty terrain, the terrain occupied so much by Limerick over the past eight or nine years.

Quite a lot of their success in that time has been attributed to their physical presence, playing on the edge without the concession of frees.

It has been said that those now chasing them from the other counties do not possess that type of physical quality.

So, let's cut to the chase, what players who have not been involved before impressed the most during the club championship months, players that put up their hand for Ben O'Connor to ponder about.

The county final stage is the perfect place to audition, a strong innings can catapult a player into the reckoning.

Well, the man of the match last Sunday week for the Glen was two-goal hero, Eoin O'Leary.

He has come up through the ranks in Blackpool, a quality player at minor level whose large scoring contribution made such a difference in the Glen's return to the summit.

We would expect to see him given an opportunity on the intercounty pre-season stage.

Staying with the Glen, Micheál Mullins should be fast-tracked a bit more into the equation, a year older and wiser.

Eoin Varian was another who had a fine county final at corner-back. Might he come under consideration?

We are not certain whether the pre-season Munster League will be played next season. Hopefully, it will because it's an ideal environment to assess the new blood coming onto the scene.

Keep all your established first-team players away from it during those two or three weeks, have a look at how the newcomers get on.

From a Barrs perspective, Ciaran Doolan might be one to put under the spotlight, a solid defender who rarely makes mistakes.

Kanturk had a mighty season, going through to the semi-final after eliminating the Rockies and Sars, that surely stands for quite a bit and with Alan Walsh surely going to be a key attacker next season, he might have Brian O'Sullivan for company in the squad.

Ballincollig's Brian Keating was around the squad last season and if he's injury-free he too looks another who must enter the picture that bit more.

Ben Cunningham has been spoken of quite a bit in recent season and his county final performance for the Barrs contained a lot of industry alongside his free-taking ability. Dungourney's Jack Leahy will be seriously examined too.

A big boost for the Cork management in the latter stages of the championship was the excellent form of Ethan Twomey. 

His confidence levels restored, he has to come under the spotlight a lot more next season.

No doubt, the management will be in attendance next Sunday for the Senior A final and Patrick Walsh has been piling up big scores for Carrigtwohill.

In all pre-season squads many can be called but how many will be chosen for an extension in the jersey?

In Waterford, new boss Stephen Molumphy has left out some very established players. Every manager wants to put his own stamp on matters and it will be the same in Kilkenny with Henry Shefflin.

It's no easy decision to omit a high-profile name and in all instances, management must be satisfied that the newcomers are as good and better than those who will now be on the outside looking in from the stands.

Cork failed dismally in Croke Park in the last two seasons. Questions were posed about why some players were not given more time or why some subs were not made quickly enough, Harnedy and Shane Kingston in that conversation.

It's obvious that the squad needs strengthening in a lot of departments.

All of this, of course, is easier said than done but being without the Liam McCarthy Cup for 22 years. Things just have to change for the better.