O’Neill: scenic route can benefit Rebels

CORK could hardly say they have been ‘tested’ by either Cavan or Wexford in recent weeks by Colm O’Neill believes their unwanted trip through the qualifiers may still be of value to Conor Counihan and his side.

Since losing their Munster semi-final replay to Kerry, the Rebels swept past Tommy Carr’s former charges with 18 points to spare and they had the buffer of a seven-point gap in Wexford Park last weekend.

Much was made of the possible benefits to Cork of the backdoor route, even prior to the summer, but those two outings were hardly ideal for a side that is supposedly still tweaking its way towards its best 15.