Donal Og Cusack's jacket

[magpie seanie]

Teddy Mc Carthy says that the players should take a good hard long look at themselves first before Donal Óg rounds on Frank and co.

Exactly.

[Gold]

This is off the topic of Donal Og's jacket but I was just thinking about what a brave and important thing it was for him to come out. There was huge press coverage in America recently for Jason Collins, the basketball player who came out. He was the first major American sportsman to do so. And yet, Donal Og did it two years ago in a country like Ireland, and he's playing a mostly rural-based, traditional sport like hurling. It took some balls to do it and it's a huge part of changing people's attitudes. He's a brave man, fair play to him.

Totally agree, very brave.

He is a great talker too. Always makes sense like saying when you beat a man on the 40 its 5 on 4 or 6 on 5 or whatever and you simply have to engineer a goal chance. That's how you win things. Teams like Galls in Antrim have done that for years. So frustrating playing when your teammate beats a man...leaving it 3 on 2 but then ignores you (when so easy to draw my man for a goal chance) and clips it over the bar. Sean Cavanagh always makes those late runs but is very rarely given the ball as most players are blind and kick the ball over the bar, same in hurling. Kilkenny would normally smell blood in such a situation and crucify you giving the last pass and netting.

[Bord na Mona man]

There's something going on in the coaching in Cork. I couldn't believe how poor their first touch was in the U21 against Waterford, and I believe the minors had similar issues against Limerick. You could always take for granted that a Cork player would be able to execute the basic skills at a very high level. That seems to be a problem nowadays.

Not throwing dirt here, but the same problems are in Offaly.
Whereas Cork used to have a huge pick of talented players from a huge base and that always got them by, Offaly had a supply of talented hurlers from a small base.

I'd say the problems are similar in both counties. Everyone else have moved on while Offaly and Cork are sticking to an older formula.
Cork's sheer numbers can cover it better. You'll still have a sprinkling of good players coming through in spite of the structures rather than because of them.

[AZOffaly]

Exactly. I wasn't trying to imply we are in any better state. I was just surprised for a county with the resources of Cork, that they would seem to be neglecting basic skills. BnM, you mention about moving on, and that's true, but even back in the 70ss you had to be able to rise a ball, catch a ball, strike a ball, hook and block. Cork (and others including ourselves) seem to be struggling with a lot of the  basic skills.

[Bord na Mona man]

Eoghan Harris discusses the problems of Cork hurling. Surprisingly Sinn Fein not to blame...

--

Finally, fools rush in where experts fear to commit themselves. So let me list the five historical and human factors which caused the collapse of Cork hurling. None of them new, but no harm to put them in chronological order.

First, the loss of the North Mon and Farranferris schools, whose brothers and priests sublimated (mostly) their sexual energy on the sports field.

Second, the decline of the three great city clubs. So much so that in 1999 when a young Cork team won the All Ireland, and Manchester United won the treble, the latter's success was jokingly put down to former 'Barrs player Denis Irwin being on the United team.

Third, the players' strike. Donal Og Cusack's criticisms of the Frank Murphy regime are cogent. But he cannot carry all the blame for a complex collapse.

Fourth - and to my mind the most important - poor management, especially in the field of sports science.

Jimmy Barry-Murphy seems to think it's simply about skills. But Galway's rugby-style GPS (Global Positioning System), which monitors player fatigue and lactic acid, gave it a crucial edge as the match went on.

Significantly, Seanie McGrath, a doctor of sports medicine, was the physical trainer of the brilliant young Cork team of 1999. And here, Brian Corcoran's book, Every Single Ball, has lots to teach us.

Corcoran came back from retirement and played centre forward and full forward. His capacity to win ball, distribute ball and score was immense. He has not been replaced.

Fifth, Cork hubris and arrogance. In Greek tragedy, the hero becomes convinced he is a god. So it was with Cork.

Of course a certain degree of Cork elitism is essential. Winning, and a reputation for winning, matters both to a team and to its opponents.

Time was, Cork's rivals feared the jersey. So much so that poor Cork teams have won, or come close to winning an All Ireland, as nearly happened in 2013.

But the downside of hubris is that the Greek hero, having risen so high, also has a long way to fall.

Hence the complete collapse in Cork's morale against Galway and the shocked recriminations from fans that followed.

Cork hubris is based on the fiction that there is some special Cork hurling gene. That is no such natural gene.

True, Kerry and Kilkenny seem to turn out natural players. But they have embraced sports science. Just as Galway drew on the skills of a rugby fitness specialist to destroy Cork.

Recovery calls for a range of remedies. Sciath na Scol and the Development Squads will take time to come on stream. But sports science now must be fully taken on board.

Beyond that, Cork needs fresh thinking about fostering future talent. And that means a "mol an oige" policy.

In particular Cork schools need to fill the huge hole created by removal of Farranferris and the North Mon. The solution to that is staring the County Board in the face.

Call on the many Cork players walking around with All Ireland medals in their pockets. Ask them to give something back. And get ready for the rush.

Rush, because I believe many former players will answer a call to the colours - especially if the County Board creates a new 'academy of excellence' to accommodate their talents.

Finally, I wont funk the big question. Time for JBM to step down with grace and our gratitude.

There are two first-class contenders to replace him: Donal Og Cusack and Seanie McGrath.

In an ideal world, Cork would adopt the Abbey Theatre solution and appoint two directors: Donal Og as director of hurling and Seanie McGrath as director of fitness.

Then Kilkenny would live in fear again.

Sunday Independent

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/eoghan-harris/skibbereen-still-keeping-an-eagle-eye-on-the-world-31421071.html

[orangeman]

JBM gone.

[muppet]

JBM gone.

Any word on Eoghan Harris?

[Bud Wiser]

Eoghain is away at the moment, Fantasy Land I believe.  If not there is going to be some sale of GPS tracking systems.  They must have had one on JBM's car because the rumor I am hearing is that he did not turn up for an important training session before the very week before either the Galway or Clare game but was instead at the VIP section of a soccer match.