Cork out to prove a point

CORK will be hoping to avoid membership of an exclusive club this weekend.

The reigning All-Ireland champions have failed to make the nextcampaign’s All-Ireland series — quarter-finals or better — just once since the advent of the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2001, with that peculiar honour falling to a Tyrone side that fell to Laois in O’Moore Park in 2006.

Mickey Harte’s side had limped through that entire season having been worn down by injuries to key players and the curtain finally came down in Portlaoise in early July on a day borrowed from the depths of winter.