Master and commander

Cork’s scorer-in-chief James Masters talks to Michael Moynihan.

JAMES MASTERS strolls into the lobby of a Cork hotel, tanned and relaxed. The Rebel footballers are many people’s dark horses for the All-Ireland, but if that’s a burden Masters carries it lightly.

“I’d say at the start of the year we wanted to go far (in the league) — the NFL semi-finalists and finalists have done well later in the season for the last few years, but we lost a few close games.

“The other side of that is we got some new players, like Michael Cussen, so it worked out well for us at the end of the day.”

Cork football fans still had a couple of enjoyable days early in the year. Their U-21s edged Laois out in a thrilling All-Ireland final, and the rising tide has floated the senior ship too.

“It’s unbelievable. I didn’t think it’d have such an effect, after they lost last year to Mayo. It’s driven the whole thing on. I’d always have belief, and Derek (Kavanagh) always talks about having the belief to win an All-Ireland – you have to have that – but since the U21 win the thing has risen up, particularly the way they won it.

“I remember talking to Michael Shields early in the year and he was saying they’d win the U21 — he reminded me he told me that the night they won it! Having the likes of Daniel (Goulding) and Fintan (Goold) around means more competition for places, which rises everything. Daniel and Fintan were unbelievable throughout the U21, and that kind of form keeps everyone on their toes, with two or three in the hunt for one or two places.”

That’s a change for Cork. In the last few years Masters has been scorer-in-chief for the men in red, but there’s a more collective responsibility this season.

“I’ve always believed we can click as a forward unit, but in the last couple of games we’ve scored a good bit, against Tipp and Limerick. Michael Cussen didn’t get much ball in the first half of the Limerick game, but five or six balls went into him in the second half, and we got a score nearly every time.”

The loss of one player in particular certainly contributed to Cork’s All-Ireland semi-final exit at Kerry’s hands last year. When Graham Canty landed awkwardly in the Munster final replay, snapping his cruciate ligament, the Leesiders’ season took a fatal blow. Now the big Bantry man is back.

“That’s been a massive boost. Against Limerick and Tipperary, if anyone won a ball it’d be grand, but when Graham won the ball it was massive. That’s not why we lost last year, we had good players to bring in, but Graham is a leader. I shared with him out in La Manga and he’s like a father figure to the players. He’s hugely respected within the group.”

That reference to La Manga needs some expansion: the footballers were in Portugal last year as well, but Masters feels there were more benefits in this season’s trip.

“It was tough, it’d take it out of you, but you’d feel really good after it. A lot of the newer lads hadn’t been on a week like that so it was a good bonding exercise as well. Last year, when we struggled against Limerick, people said ‘ye’re tired after La Manga’, but I thought it was a good benefit. You’re with the lads 24/7, it’s good bonding, if you’re working on something specific you’ve plenty of time to practice it.”

All practice, all the time?

“Mostly. Though there was that half a day at the water park . . .”

Masters, 24, has changed since he came into the Cork senior set-up three years ago.

“You learn things. When I started off, I remember I played well in Munster but I was whitewashed in the All-Ireland series — taken off at half-time. I wasn’t that disappointed as I knew I had a lot to work on, to strengthen up and so on.

“For instance, we were watching our game against Limerick on tape recently and it looked very slow, the hits looked light, but that was a massively physical game. If the likes of Noel (O’Leary), Anthony (Lynch) and Graham (Canty) ran full at you, you’d be saying how would you take it, but your body gets used to it. You learn when to hit a guy, to shoulder him when he’s off balance.

“But fellas don’t realise how physical it is – or how fast the game is at inter-county level. I prepare a lot better nowadays, and have done for the last year or so. Billy wouldn’t have long left as manager, and you’d nearly want to do it for him more than anything, you’d be thinking ‘I’ll do it for him’ as much as yourself.”

Ah, Billy. Cork manager Billy Morgan is a figure who polarises opinion, depending largely on which side of Ballyvourney you come from. For his Nemo club-mate there’s no ambiguity.

“I know there’s begrudgers in Cork,” says Masters. “I know that Billy is a target – and maybe it’s a Nemo thing – but I’m a huge fan of his. He gave me my chance playing senior with Nemo at 17. He had faith in me and because I work with him day in day out I see his passion for the game. You can’t fake that. I know he believes in all of us. If he gave up this year and was writing for a paper he’d still back us 100%. He’s hugely supportive. I get my bollockings as well as everyone else, but he’s a great coach and he’s always supporting lads. That’s what gets you through the bollockings, then.”

So. The Munster final. Some observers see the tide shifting Cork’s way, particularly in the absence of those Kerry retirees, Seamus Moynihan and Michael McCarthy. Masters stops that line of speculation cold.

“I’m thinking of Kerry the same way I was last year, even without the lads they’re missing. They’ve quality in all positions. I don’t know what people are expecting from us but they’re probably expecting more from us than last year. We have a good feeling in our camp at the moment, but I know they’ll have done their homework on us too.

“One of our lads was talking to someone in Kerry — someone close to the Kerry camp — who said they won the All-Ireland because we beat them in the Munster final. They put Kieran Donaghy full-forward against Longford and they were able to try lads in different positions.

“I know there’s a danger in peaking too early, but I’d be all out to win — and keep winning. Winning is contagious. We’re going in to the Munster final to win it, and I’d say that’s the attitude every Cork player brings to it.”