Ahead of Pat Ryan’s inaugural league match as the manager of Cork, approximately fifteen months ago, Cork’s sportsman Patrick Horgan had been interviewed at a promotional event. Dropped for Cork’s last two championship games the previous season, any other themes at the media occurrence would be seemingly peripheral. Horgan made no attempt to sidestep or sugarcoat the issue with diplomatic language.
He responded expansively, stating he believed he had been “unfairly treated” and expressed his shock at being excluded, while receiving no explanation for it. He proved himself under pressure in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Galway when he came on at half-time, putting on his best performance after Cork’s free taking had collapsed.
For newly appointed manager Ryan, Horgan’s status was a contentious matter. Was he departing or would he be forced out of the team? Neither? By that time Horgan, a veteran player with 15 championships under his belt, was aged 34. Ryan had recently steered Cork to back-to-back under-20 All-Irelands. Fans of Cork were yearning for an influx of new blood and young energy. And victories. Victories, above all.
Thus, the question was, what degree of transition would be ideal? What should be the rate of change? Where was the ideal midpoint?
In recent pre-season media appearances, it had become customary for Horgan to announce that he was in his best physical shape. This often seemed to be an intentional pre-emptive move, aimed to dismiss any doubts related to his advancing age and potential decline. Ryan, once said admiringly about Horgan, he believed that Horgan would never “retire”, suggesting Horgan would play as long as humanly possible.
By Limerick’s visit for Ryan’s first league match in 2023, Ryan was clear about Horgan’s position.
Speaking about Horgan, he said, “I’m not concerned about his age.” He continued, “If he performs well and can contribute to the team, he will be in the starting line-up. I see it as disrespectful when people continually ask older players – ‘When are you leaving?’ If he’s a substitute, he’s a substitute. If he’s starting, he’s starting. That should apply to all players. And he is okay with that.”
Ryan’s decision-making was validated in the previous championship, where Horgan emerged as the highest scorer for Cork. On a blistering day at the Gaelic Grounds, he managed an amazing 1-14 against Limerick, recreating his score from play against Clare a week prior. However, there was constant speculation around Horgan’s performance in these games. His form has notably dipped this year. Horgan was hardly noticed last Sunday and had only seven possessions in the matches against Waterford and the last Sunday’s, no goals from play,and no tackles. The misfortune for Horgan is that Cork firmly believe the ball was not frequently sent to their forwards. Another opportunity to prove himself awaits Horgan against Clare on Sunday.
Ryan’s largest task upon accepting his role was managing the transition and pacing it. In a way, circumstantial proof was hindering these efforts. Cork have secured three of the six under-20/21 All-Ireland finals in the last six years, with this year’s under-20 squad having won the minor championship three years ago. This past success has led to growing impatience amongst the Cork fans.
However, when Horgan, Harnedy, Lehane and Cahalane were selected to play the previous week, it raised eyebrows: where were young players, Tyrrell had inquired on The Sunday Game.
The slightly uncomfortable answer, however, was quite visible. Among the 26 players dressed for Cork at Walsh Park, eighteen had participated in the under-20/21 finals. Nine of those played last Sunday, with the number increasing to twelve this weekend. If one expands the view further, out of the 55 distinct players who started in the under-20/21 finals since 2018, 21 have since participated in the senior championships for Cork and additional eleven in the league. The issue then is not their absence, rather their performance.
There’s been increased demands for change after Walsh Park’s final whistle. Within local conversations, the successful years of Cork following drastic change appear to have overshadowed the numerous years where such changes resulted in no progress.
When Cork unexpectedly advanced to the All-Ireland final in 2013, the team was essentially comprised of six fresh faces, reminiscent of their 1999 All-Ireland winning roster, where six players made their initial appearance in the first round. Just this Thursday, Cork switched up their line-up, introducing six new athletes.
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, who had joined Cork as a teenager three years earlier, was part of the 1999 squad. At the onset of that particular summer, Cork faced challenges far graver than they are facing currently.
Reflecting on that period, Ó hAilpín shares, “Jimmy [Barry-Murphy, the Cork manager] had no alternatives. During a private warm-up match before the championship’s first round, we experienced a crushing defeat at the hands of Tipp at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Our performance was so dismal that the match was called off with five minutes remaining. My guess is, Jimmy was wondering just how bad things could get.” With no players returning from injuries or overseas commitments, the introduction of numerous young talents into the team was a gamble. “However, it was all he had. In some ways, Pat [Ryan] is likely facing a similar situation now, though I believe many in the current squad, particularly those aged between 25 and 30, have the potential to deliver,” Ó hAilpín adds.
Over the past six years, Ó hAilpín has been involved with UCC, initially with the Freshers, and currently with the Fitzgibbon Cup team. His interactions with young players from the under-20/21 finals have shown him the pressure building up in the squad, some of which seems excessive and unwarranted. “Do you think it’s possible to select a group from the previous year’s under-20s team and simply upgrade them to the senior level? A 20-year-old player would be pitted against athletes who have likely undergone five or 10 years of strength training. This method worked back in my day; as a newcomer, speed and skill were enough to survive. When I joined the Cork team in 1996, the senior members weren’t weight training, they’d scoff at the notion. Back then, it just wasn’t the done thing.”
Currently, the sport is significantly more wearing, with increased levels of physical interaction. Previously, the game was navigated more gently; an opponent would execute his steps before you could tackle him. It was a peaceful manoeuvre or a simple obstruction. The present-day game requires diffusing through multiple players, which was non-existent before. Emerging young adults from under-20s would certainly need an extra couple of years to acclimate to the brutality of senior hurling.
Shortly after the conclusion of the previous season, the Cork team pondered how to better themselves. Their immediate and consensus decision was the necessity to improve their fitness levels.
Ian Jones, who held experience in rugby and NFL, was designated as the strength and conditioning coach for the team. As soon as Cork’s role in the club championships ended in the passed fall, Jones offered them an off-season drill.
Additionally, Ryan looked towards Gary Keegan, who is renowned in Irish sports for his impactful coaching over the last two decades. His prowess extends from Olympic boxing to Dublin football to Tipperary hurling to Leinster rugby and to Irish rugby, among several other sports. In 2017, with Kieran Kingston serving as the Cork manager and Ryan as part of the team management, Keegan agreed to assist Cork and his influence during that season was game-changing.
Keegan’s engagement with the Irish rugby team resulted in him interfacing with the Cork players irregularly, integrated sporadically into their agenda. Yet, he proves invaluable during weeks like the previous one.
After careful retrospection of their season’s performance, Cork was able to identify detrimental patterns. Recurring in the previous championship, they fell into punishing leads. Despite trailing by eight against Clare, seven against Limerick, and with a nine-point swing against Tipperary, they could only secure a draw in one match – the remaining two were lost by a single point. The amount of energy spent on such recoveries prevented victory.
However, identifying an issue does not warrant a solution. As seen in the early part of this year’s league, trailing Clare by eight points led to a loss by a goal, and a nine-point deficit with Kilkenny resulted in one point defeat. A similar pattern was observed last Sunday when trailing seven points, before levelling up only to lose by a goal. Such a trend certainly forecasts no future.
Ryan continuously asserted throughout the league that Cork was in fact amassing a more robust team, with twin players earmarked for every role. His belief in this approach was evident in the tumultuous squad selection on Thursday night. Could this be the catalyst? There’s only so long the inevitable can be put off.