Munster 1st round Cork V Tipp

[Reillers]

Cork play Tipp in two weeks, Munster Championship is just around the corner.

Should be a good game, hopefully Cork will go on to win, but Munster days out are nearly always days to remember.

Benny Dunne is the most recent casualty on the Tipp side, while Tom Kenny did in his hamstring with Grenagh today, not sure to a full extent of how bad the injury is but is now a massive doubt for the Tipp game. Which obviously will be a massive blow, bringing our injury list to Lorcan, Kenny and Cussen all out, which would mean Jerry, Niall Mac and Cadogan in. Cadogan and Niall Mac should be back for the game, but not 100% sure whether Jerry is up to playing in the mid these days, him and Naughton are pretty similar as well in one sense so we'll have to wait and see. That and having an all Newtown mid line up isn't exactly ideal either. 

Not the most ideal preperations but we'll have to adapt. Kenny's injury is a big blow though.

[Minder]

Is it not two weeks?

[AZOffaly]

Is it not the 30th Reillers? I think this is a prime candidate for Tipp to be sent through the back door. They beat cork down in the park two years ago, but last year was no gimme, even with Cork's disrupted preparations. There's an assumption that Tipp will kick on from last year, but that's hard to do, and a big game like this so early in the year is far from ideal, for either team, but I think Cork have more to gain.

I reckon Cork might just have enough in the tank at home.

[bottlethrower7]

Tipp will win this very comfortably (by about 7/8 points). I expect this game will start to put the league, and how poor the standard was, into perspective.

Cork are a weak outfit at the moment. They haven't unearthed any real new talent as such, and the old stagers are starting to head backwards a little.

I'd also expect Tipp to have regressed from where they were last year, but they'll still be in the top 2/3 teams this year when the final shake-up comes about. They're still a handful of players short of a fully accomplished outfit in my view, but could still be well good enough for all-Ireland honours. Of course that all depends on whether Galway can put politics and internal bickering aside for a season, or whether Kilkenny are as fatigued as would appear. Tipp at their best should take Galway at their best. Not so Kilkenny, yet anyway.

But as regards the Tipp-Cork game - a comfortable win for Tipp by anything up to 10 points.

[Reillers]

  It is two weeks, next time I'll read the post before I put it down.

We almost beat them last year, argueably we should have. I think we've a few players all right that could surprise a lot of people. The injuries don't help though. Cussen's back training and Cadogan will hopefully make it. 

It will be a hard one all right, but I think we can pull it out of the bag.

[Reillers]

We hammered Galway in the Castlelyons challenge yesterday,  2-27 to 0-16, not exactly ground breaking when you look at the Galway team that played..

1.     James Skehill
2.     David Collins
3.     Eugene McEntee
4.     Pat Holland
5.     Conor Dervan
6.     John Lee
7.     Adrian Cullinane
8.     Niall Cahalan
9.     Eoin Lynch
10.     Aonghus Callanan
11.     Kevin Hayes
12.     Eanna Ryan
13.     Richie Cummins
14.     Joe Gantley
15.     Finian Coone
16.     John Grealish
17.     Shane Kavanagh
18.     Tony Og Regan
19.     Niall Hayes
20.     Niall Healy
21.     Iarla Tannian


Our team was named as..

1. Donal Og Cusack - Cloyne
2. Shane O'Neill - Bishopstown
3. Eoin Dillon - Milford
4. Shane Murphy - Erin's Own
5. John Gardiner - Na Piarsaigh
6. Ronan Curran - St Finbarr's
7. Sean Og Ó hAilpín - Na Piarsaigh
8. Graham Callanan - Glen Rovers
9. William Egan - Kilbrin
10. Ben O'Connor - Newtownshandrum
11. Mark O'Sullivan - Dripsey
12. Cathal Naughton - Newtownshandrum
13. Kieran Murphy - Sarsfields (Captain)
14. Aisake Ó hAilpín - Na Piarsaigh
15. Patrick Horgan - Glen Rovers

16. Anthony Nash - Kanturk
17. Brian Murphy - Bride Rovers
18. Ray Ryan - Sarsfields
19. Lorcan McLouglin - Kanturk
20. Niall McCarthy - Carrigtwohill
21. Jerry O'Connor - Newtownshandrum
22. Paudie O'Sullivan - Cloyne

And made a boat load of changes at half time..
Nash
Shane Murphy   
Dillion   
B. Murphy
Ronan Curran   
Ray Ryan       
Shane O'Neill
Lorcan
Cathal Naugthan
Aisake   
Jerry O Connor
Niall McCarthy
Fraggie Murphy
Paudie O Sullivan
Ben O Connor

Paudie scored a few when he came on, Ray Ryan played well, as did Shane Murphy. For everything that we have we still can't seem to get the long puck outs to work. Donal Og played it short in the first half, had no choice really with the wind, couldn't get near the young Dripsey lad Mark O Sullivan. It worked well from Cusack but the short game broke down in the team up the pitch. It's great when it works, but it hasn't worked in a long time, not really. And if DW makes the change which people are presuming he will, making a straight swap Jerry in for TK, we'll have a complete Newtown midfield and that could be a disaster.

I hope we play both Murphy's and push Shane O Neill up the pitch where he's more influential.

Certain hard calls have yet to be made and I'm wondering now whether he'll make them at all, I suppose only time will tell.

The selection against Tipp will be very interesting. I thought the league final showed that the way forward is not to take a step back.We started playing the way Walsh wants the team to play, direct, but when it got hard it went back to the same old, same old, pre 2006 style, which was grand when it won us games, but it's be countered and defended with ease since.
We have to resist the temptation to change course and go back to the tried and tested just for the sake of it. Especially when it gets hard.

On another note. Mr Barry Kelly is the ref for the day, which well isn't anyone's top choice, a point was made that whether Donal Og should start or not. Is he that far ahead of the rest of the other keepers to make up for the grudge match that will probably take place. Is he worth the headache?

Not saying I agree with that but it'll be interesting all right to see what happens.

[johnneycool]

I'd have thought the Aisake Ó hAilpín experiment was over but with Cussen possibly injured then Walsh has come this far with Aisake it looks like he's going to stick with him.
Aisake would needed to have been shown a huge bit of progress in handling of both hurl and ball since the NHL final to merit inclusion.

Apart from Ray Ryan is the many of the strike breakers on the current Cork panel?

[Lecale2]

I was impressed with Cussen. When was he injured and how long is he out?

[Reillers]

I was impressed with Cussen. When was he injured and how long is he out?

He broke a bone in his hand, I think, in the Galway match, he was supposed to miss the Tipp game but he could make it.

[Reillers]

Eoin Cadogan will be fit for the Tipp game. Played 30 mins against the intermediates Mon night and played well for that matter.
Very positive news.

[slow corner back]

I fancy Cork to spring a surprise in this one ( I would fancy them more if Tom Kenny was fit). Anyways too much face to be lost down leeside by the strikers if they do not pull up some trees this summer. First tree to fall will be tipp.

[orangeman]

Tom Ryan in today's Irish Mail describing Cork's chances of AI success this year - over the top stuff as usual from Tom or just straight talking ?


"Dennis Walsh needed to show us in the league final that between the old and the new, he had knitted a team together who could do something this summer, but instead he revealed a team who have grown soft on defence and possesses all the meance of a muzzled poodle in attack."

[deiseach]

For what my opinion is worth (sweet FA) I'm going for Cork too. The manner of defeat in last year's All Ireland would have taken the wind out of a hurricane. Cork are on the up and could catch Tipp on the way down. Either way, should be fun finding out

[seafoid]

I think Tipp will beat them out the gate. Cork are not going anywhere this year. They were too long at the well with the same players.

<Sits back and awaits Reillers>

[INDIANA]

Tipp to win for me. Cork have too many issues within their team for me.