Our standards have fallen, warns Cork chairman Ger Lane

Cork GAA standards have fallen and hard questions will have to be asked if the various county teams fail to deliver in 2017, county board chairman Ger Lane told delegates at yesterday’s Convention.

The Cork U21 footballers were the sole team to achieve provincial glory this year and the failure of any Cork team to deliver an All-Ireland title for a second successive year is “cause for concern”.

“2016 was not a good year for our inter-county teams,” said Lane, adding, “our standards have fallen.”

The chairman called for significantly improved showings from Peadar Healy’s footballers, while urging patience for a hurling team in transition.

“Our senior footballers, who had an indifferent league campaign, were most unlucky to be relegated to Division 2.

“That had a knock-on effect when it came to being defeated by Tipperary in the championship. This was a hugely disappointing result for the team and supporters.

“The team is in transition, but we have the players and we should be much more competitive. This team is fully resourced and financed and we must see a major improvement from our team management and players in the league and championship in 2017.

“Cork football should be in a much better positions and questions have to be asked if it doesn’t happen in 2017.”

He continued: “Our senior hurlers had another difficult year. The championship was very disappointing. Our exit from the championship was a huge setback.

“Kieran [Kingston] and his management team are going for a younger panel in 2017. We hope this will bear fruit.

“We have to be patient with a young team, but a good league run would be a major boost as we near the championship.”

Cork clubs, the board chairman added, must also do better.

“Once again, our teams failed at provincial level in all competitions, except for junior hurling. This has to be of serious concern.

“Why are our champions not good enough to win Munster titles? I don’t have the answer, but can we afford to sit back and hope it will improve? I don’t think so.

“We need to examine this in a structured way and the strategic review committee are presently doing that.

“We need to do this with a number of interested parties, including players, former players and administrators, and come forward with ideas.

“We need to up our intensity as it was glaringly obvious in the last few weeks that our teams are simply not good enough and were well below the required standard.”

The success in recent years of the county’s development squads is cause for optimism and the chairman said now is the time to transfer this dominance to minor level.

“Our underage development squads are the best in Munster and we should see Cork teams in contention at All-Ireland minor level shortly.

“These are just tournaments, though, and now it is our turn to move into winning minor championships.”

A meeting of the board executive and the eight divisional bodies is scheduled for tomorrow night and Lane hinted at a possible restructuring of the divisions.

“There is a divisive attitude developing between the divisions and the board. It is not healthy.

“Certainly, from this side of the table, there is no trying to get rid of the divisional boards. Divisional boards are there since 1920 and I think it is time things change, to a certain degree.

“There were eight divisional boards at that time and I’m not saying it is going to change tomorrow or next year, but is there room for eight divisions, should there be less? That needs to be discussed.”