Time for Cadogan to make difficult choice
And perhaps wondering: Am I falling between two stools here?
He is not starting in defence for Cork because management believe he has not had sufficient competitive action and training ground work to make sure his football eye is in.
Anyone who watched him for the Cork hurlers last Saturday against Offaly may have arrived at the same conclusion. And yet when he is finished with the footballers tomorrow afternoon, he goes straight back into hurling mode for Cork’s next Championship qualifier — a different sport, a different group of players, and a different dynamic.
At this point in time, we are all left wondering whether an outstanding athlete is doing himself or his county justice. I know both Denis Walsh and Conor Counihan have maximised Cadogan’s opportunity to play hurling and football by facilitating a flexible training regime. But in doing that, are they really optimising his talent?
I played with the only man who has truly made the dual commitment work, and that was over 20 years ago. And with all due respect to Teddy McCarthy, the physical, psychological and technical demands on a player are considerably higher in 2011 than they were in 1990. At the top end of the GAA, the dual commitment is no longer workable. Cadogan is an asset to both Cork teams, but his form and performance in both codes is suffering and sooner — not later — he will be forced to make a difficult choice between hurling and football at inter-county level.
While he is key to the hurlers, he could hardly be described as indispensable to Conor Counihan’s All-Ireland champions — hence his place among the subs tomorrow. Remember too Ray Carey and Denis O’Sullivan are also champing at the bit for one of six defensive berths.
Cork’s selection is as predictable as it’s been for a while. Counihan has gone for the reliables and he has forsaken any possible tinkering or experimentation because Cork badly want to win this Munster final. Not winning in Killarney since 1995 is one thing, putting down a marker on Kerry another. But Counihan will also recognise that for 2011, the straightest line from A to B is also the most advantageous for a squad that has been in the last two September finals and the last three national league final weekends. If there is any a gamble, it’s in the placement of Graham Canty, undoubtedly short of top class football, at full-back on Kieran Donaghy. I’ll be amazed if Michael Shields isn’t deputed to mark Colm Cooper, similarly Miskella will pick up Declan O’Sullivan, Kissane on Donncha Walsh and Noel O’Leary on the flying Darran O’Sullivan.
That leaves Jamie O’Sullivan and Kerry’s Kieran O’Leary. It’s a good match-up for Cork, but just because O’Leary doesn’t bring the same gilt-edged reputation into battle, it doesn’t mean he can’t hurt Cork. He operates very well in tight spaces and has a marvellously telepathic relationship with his club colleague Cooper.
How much quality ball can this Kerry attack expect? First things first: They can do with 50% of the ball that most other attacks need to win a game. But from a Kerry standpoint, I would be a lot more confident if Paul Galvin was starting.
Hands up, I believe he’s been the most effective footballer in the country between 2004 and 2009 for his positioning, his ability to hoover up dirty ball and, most importantly, his capacity to use it intelligently. There would not be such close scrutiny of Kerry’s midfield AD (after Darragh) if Galvin was still buzzing around the fringes. His absence, plus that of Tomás Ó Sé — whose experience alone of Munster finals in Killarney is a huge factor — make the reigning champions vulnerable in the middle third of the field.
If Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher get on the ball a lot, Cork will be retreating all day because they don’t lack poise when on the ball. But I anticipate that Walsh and O’Connor will hold sway in this area, through the pure dint of their physical presence and engine capacity. On that, expect to see both Seamus Scanlon and Micheal Quirke figure prominently for the Kingdom.
Four of the last six meetings between these sides in Killarney have finished level — and in one respect, this is a concern I have for Cork: they tend to fall over the line against Kerry, if they even get that far. Too often in recent years I’ve seen Cork sides go four, five and six points ahead of their great rivals and go back on their heels awaiting the Kerry response. If you invite Kerry to launch a comeback, they won’t need a second ask. Three times in the Munster semi-final replay last year at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork had Kerry by the throat, down and virtually out. But Kerry walked out of a stunned park with a one-point win.
If Cork are as good tomorrow as they have the potential to be, they must make the superiority count and not be left relying, as Dublin were last Sunday, on a dubious refereeing decision from a Meath official.
We have another Royal appointment in Killarney tomorrow; I rate Dave Coldrick as one of the top three officials in the country now. Please, let’s not be talking about his key decisions after tomorrow’s game.
A verdict? Cork will win it because too much has to go right for Kerry to pull this one off — and their key men are in too few positions. The All-Ireland champions have a more even spread and greater depth on the bench. Those things matter on Munster final days.
