Cork eager to prove point to Decies

ALL-IRELAND SHC champions Cork are relishing their pairing with Munster kingpins Waterford in their first outing of next year's provincial championship.

"It's the All-Ireland champions against the Munster champions," said Cork chairman Jim Forbes yesterday.

"And a repeat of last year's Munster final, just to give it a little extra impetus. It's a big game with a big incentive for both counties. They might both feel they have something to prove from this year."

For Cork, it's a chance to avenge the only defeat of their All-Ireland campaign; for Waterford, beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Kilkenny, an opportunity to show had they made it to the final, they would have confirmed their superiority.

"In Munster no matter who you draw, it's going to be a tough game. Any one of five counties can win the Munster championship, and any one of the five can win the All-Ireland. Cork struggled big-time in the first round this year against Limerick, and it's going to be even tougher now. At least when we played Waterford last year, we'd had a preparatory game; that won't be the case this time, we're going in cold. Waterford are in the same position. So it will be a big game, for both of us."

Given that Cork will have a new management does the Cork chairman feel any loss of confidence?

"You'd have to be confident, all the time, but Waterford have proved themselves a formidable side over the last few years. There hasn't been much between us they beat us this year, we beat them in 2003. I'm sure this will be looked forward to all over Munster and a packed house guaranteed."

Elsewhere Tipperary face Limerick, a team they struggled to beat in this year's qualifiers. Limerick, and manager Padjoe Whelahan, are keen to make amends and return to hurling's top table.

"We're looking at doing things differently next year again. There's not much between any of the teams in Munster; Clare were hammered by Waterford in the first round, then came back and did well in the qualifiers. Cork were beaten in Munster, then won the All-Ireland.

"I feel we have an even stronger panel now we've brought in a few new lads that I'm very happy with. We're stronger than we were this year, it's all about bringing them in and building them up. By Christmas I want to have them fit, whereas we didn't start training last year until after it. Then we can go hurling, get plenty of matches and start building.

"We had a lot of work to do when I came on board, I made no secret of that, but we did well. We learned a lot from it, or at least I hope we did. Time will tell."

Padjoe's son Brian has been one of the stalwarts of the Offaly effort since the late '80s. While their Leinster final draw against Kilkenny had many Faithful hearts sinking, it could have been worse, says the former hurler of the year.

"If we were in Munster we'd be coming up against someone strong every year, so we can't complain. For the last two years we got what was deemed the easier side of the draw in Leinster, and still did nothing.

"There was a time we would have been relishing meeting Kilkenny, but with all the heavy beatings over the last few years, the mindset has changed. Kilkenny is a county that's coming through with talent the whole time.

"I thought when we got to the Leinster final this year, we'd win it, and that would have been terrific, to get that experience with what is basically a new team. It was very disappointing to lose. All due respect, I felt this year's Wexford team wasn't as good as last year's, just look at what Cork did to them. I'm not saying we'd have beaten Cork, but we'd have played them differently, our tactics would have been different, and I feel we'd have given them a better game. When we lost to Wexford, then they were beaten so badly by Cork, that shows to me how far off the pace we are, and Offaly people have to accept that. It's going to take a huge effort to turn that around."

If the attitude of Kilkenny county board chairman Ned Quinn is any guide, Brian Whelahan's fears of a Cat backlash are well-founded.

"Every game is vital now, for every team, especially in the early rounds. If you keep winning, reach the provincial final, you're straight into the All-Ireland quarter-final.

"If you lose, you're going into this round-robin, where you could find yourself up against anyone. We'll be doing everything we possibly can preparation-wise to avoid that."