John Meyler: Cork young guns determined to ‘get back up’

A first tick on the new calendar. The Cork hurlers start 2017 this evening with the Canon O’Brien Cup against UCC (Mardyke, 7pm), but at this time of year, what are the likes of new selector John Meyler looking for?

“It’s just a combination — you’re doing fitness work, attitude work, effort work at the moment. you’re trying to build up all of those areas.

“The fitness, the strength and conditioning, that’s being done but you’re also working on attitude, on the game plan.

“Tonight’s the start of that — the Canon O’Brien Cup, five of these Munster senior hurling league games, then the opening National League game. That’s it.”

Cork boss Kieran Kingston named a young side last night, while Douglas star Alan Cadogan will be wearing the College’s colours tonight.

Meyler is also the Cork U21 manager. Does his day job in Cork Institute of Technology give him a particular insight into that age cohort?

“Most of my lecturing now is in adult education and master’s programmes, people with 10 years’ experience in the workplace rather than people who’ve just finished secondary school.

"With Cork we have a lot of younger players, and they’re some of the nicest lads I’ve worked with. We’ve got some good hurlers coming, and they’re very good to deal with.

“Younger players now have come up with technology, the iPhone, apps, everything. Everything’s available to them in terms of technology, so does that make them softer? I don’t know. What I see in this group is a real urgency, to work hard and to get back up.”

That’s the key to restoring Cork’s fortunes, he adds.

“It’s just hard work. Gary Player said it years ago, ‘the harder I work the better I get.’ That’s it, as simple as that.”

Who would be good models for those younger players?

“In two years managing Wexford, Kilkenny beat us six times and beat us well at times. I always felt they’d maximised their potential, but what does that mean?

"It means individuals maximising what they could get from themselves. Guys like Jackie Tyrrell, Michael Fennelly — developing themselves and giving themselves the best chance to win All-Irelands.

"When I met the likes of Jackie first he mightn’t have been as good a hurler as other players, but he really focused on developing himself.

“He and Fennelly did that in CIT, I saw them doing it — if a young Cork hurler wanted to maximise his ability I’d tell him to look no further than them.”

Or Tommy Walsh. “I was with Michael Walsh of Kilkenny looking after the Irish shinty team in Scotland one year, and when we landed in the hotel we said we’d head out to the field have a puck around. “First man on the field? Tommy Walsh.

"Eight All-Irelands, All-Star awards, but he was first man out. The last man out on the field was from a less successful county. He’d forgotten his shin pads, his helmet, all of that.

“It demonstrated everything. Tommy Walsh was years in the game, everything won but he was like a child, wanted to be out on the field, pucking around, wanted to be out and winning and representing his country and himself. That respect for yourself, your county, the jersey — he showed that, and that’s what you’d try to instil in lads. That was showing character.”

Meyler is impressed with the potential on show in Cork, but he’s also cautious.

“There are massive sacrifices involved for these lads. They have to give up part-time work if they’re students. They can’t go out on a Friday or a Saturday night when their friends are out. They’re away all weekend at matches and training.

“There’s a massive jump from development squads to minor, from minor to U21, from U21 to senior. If you can get one minor to make the senior team, or two, then you’ve done really well.

“You’re trying to progress them, to get them ready for senior. The U21s and seniors working together, that’ll bring a synergy that will benefit both, but that won’t be seen until the start of the league. We won’t know until then, but you have to start somewhere.”

Cork:

P Collins (Ballinhassig); J Sheehan (Erins Own), E Gunning (Na Piarsaigh), D Browne (Kanturk); S O Donoghue (Inniscarra), Alan O Callaghan (Blackrock), C Murphy (Mallow); C O Leary (Valley Rovers), B Hennessy (St Finbarr’s), C Lehane (Midleton), L Meade (Newcestown), D Kearney (Sarsfields); T O Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Michael O Halloran (Blackrock), D O’Driscoll (Carrigtwohill).

Subs:

D Dalton (Fr O’ Neills), J Cashman (Blackrock), E Murphy (Sarsfields), D Dooling (Glen Rovers), Sean Hayes (Mallow), P Leopold (Sarfields).

• There is no charge for tonight’s game donations will be accepted at the gate for the Cara Junior School for autism in Mayfield, fundraiser for new facilities.