A season of progress for resurgent Rebels

MATTHEW HURLEY on ten talking points after the Cork footballers turned a corner in 2023

MORE WINS THAN LOSSES: On the Star Sport Podcast earlier this year, Southern Star columnist Haulie O’Sullivan said that if Cork win more games than they lose, their 2023 season would have been a success. Cleary’s team achieved that. They won nine games out of 16 in all competitions (McGrath Cup, national league, and Munster and All-Ireland championships). Compare this to 2022 when their record was six wins and seven defeats.

NOTABLE SCALPS: The narrow defeats to Dublin (league) and Kerry (All-Ireland group stage) showed that Cork can produce big performances against big teams. However, a scalp was needed and they got it when beating Mayo, 1-14 to 1-11, in a crunch All-Ireland group game last month; Cork needed a result and came up with the goods. What’s more, they followed it up with another big win over Roscommon, 1-14 to 0-16, the following weekend in a preliminary quarter-final. For years the Rebels have been close to beating one of the ‘bigger’ teams. Kerry in 2015. Donegal in 2016. Mayo in 2017. Tyrone in 2019. Cork did defeat Kerry in a 2020 Munster SFC semi-final, but that was during Covid, in an empty Páirc Uí Chaoimh and a very different championship. This season was also the first time Cork beat two Division 1 teams since 2009.

CONSISTENCY IMPROVING: Take it back to January and after an encouraging McGrath Cup campaign, the team suffered a disappointing 3-14 to 0-19 defeat to Meath in their Division 2 opener; it deflated the balloon a little. The old failings seemed to be resurfacing again. Cork also lost to Clare in April’s Munster SFC quarter-final, 0-14 to 0-13. Blips or something more? As soon as the All-Ireland series began though, John Cleary’s team showed that they could string back-to-back performances together. Five games, three wins, only losing to All-Ireland semi-finalists Kerry and Derry. Worth noting too that the biggest Cork defeat in 2023 was four points (against Meath and Derry).

FITNESS IN THE FINAL QUARTER: There were signs of improvement in the 2022 championship for Cork, but against Kerry and Dublin, there were second-half burnouts and the feeling was that Cork lacked the fitness to compete. ‘If they wanted to be part of the panel going forward then they had to come back in good shape starting off,’ John Cleary told The Southern Star earlier this year, as improving players’ conditioning was one of his targets. The players came back in great shape, and Cork’s strength and conditioning improvements have shown in their results. Cork beat Mayo by scoring 1-6 without reply in the final quarter. They went toe-to-toe with Derry and Kerry throughout. They were within an inch of beating Dublin in the league. The progression was evident.

Cork's Brian O'Driscoll celebrates the win against Mayo in the Gaelic Grounds.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

WORTHY ADDITIONS: Brian O’Driscoll, Ruairi Deane and Killian O’Hanlon weren’t part of the matchday panels for the Rebels in 2022. In 2023, they became key players in the side, O’Driscoll even got nominated for GAA Player of the Week after an excellent showing against Roscommon. Mix that with the finds this year. Chris Óg Jones. Luke Fahy. Conor Corbett. Jones was Cork's top scorer from play in 2023, Fahy was energetic throughout the year and Corbett scored a crucial goal en route to beating Roscommon, and there’s more to come from them as well.

LIVEWIRE MAGUIRE: Castlehaven full back Rory Maguire scored 1-6 this season and was a colossal figure throughout the championship. 0-2 against Mayo, 0-2 against Roscommon and a fantastic instinctive goal against Derry last weekend. Cork have found a new key player and the fans have found a new hero. He looks right at home at this level.

Cork's Rory Maguire celebrates after scoring a goal against Derry.
(Photo: Ben Brady/INPHO)

WAYWARD SHOOTING: The fitness is improving, so too is the consistency, and now comes the next step. Shooting has been a massive problem for John Cleary’s team, not just last Sunday against Derry but throughout the season. 37 percent accuracy against Derry. 57 percent against Roscommon. 65 percent against Mayo. 62 percent against Kerry. 62 percent against Louth. 54 percent against Clare. The team hasn't cracked 70 percent once in the championship, a feat the bigger teams do at least once in a season. Against Derry, it was a bad day shooting-wise and maybe the nerves got to the players but these sorts of figures are what separate a quarter-final side with a latter-stage side.

DEFENSIVE STRUCTURE: Cork have been perceived as, by some, ‘soft’ in previous years. This year, they were one of the toughest teams to play against in the championship. The Kevin Walsh effect was talked up when the Galway man came into the backroom team and his hype was realised. Cork now look a compact team; a side nobody likes playing against. The style might not be great on the eye but it certainly yields results and performances. Walsh got his native county to an All-Ireland semi-final in 2018, the process needs to be trusted. Cork can benefit.

KICKOUT IMPROVEMENT: The restarts were a big problem in previous years as teams bullied Cork in midfield. This year, it changed. Michael Aodh Martin improved on his kickouts as the season went on. Cork’s retention on kickouts was even at 100 percent against Kerry. An impressive stat. Other percentages include 74 against Louth, 83 against Roscommon and 85 against Derry. With Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan, Ruairi Deane and Killian O’Hanlon around the middle, Cork were a threat in that department.

NEW ADDITIONS? The 2023 squad surpassed expectations this season, but there is still more to add next year, whether it would be injury returnees or players putting their hand up in the upcoming club championships. Cathail O’Mahony, Liam O’Donovan and Sean Meehan are players who suffered long-term injuries and will be welcome returns in 2024, O’Mahony scored 1-1 in his only game of the year against Kildare. Would Michael Hurley be willing to come back? Fellow Castlehaven man Cathal Maguire could be a shout too. Briain Murphy (Nemo Rangers), Colm Scully (St Finbarr’s) and Darren Murphy (Ballincollig) were named in the County Premier SFC Team of the Year for 2022 – worth a look? Hopefully we will have players put their hands up in the upcoming club championships.