Cork ‘wolves’ ready to pounce

The message Jimmy Barry Murphy is sending out by naming Aidan Walsh and Damien Cahalane is an obvious one. During last year’s league, he had privately mentioned he had too many greyhounds.

He needed wolves.

Those greyhounds of his were seconds from a slightly unlikely All-Ireland title but with the impressive physical presence of Walsh and Cahalane he has players who are the perfect foil.

Were the other dual player, Eoin Cadogan, fit, he would have been expected to be included too.

Walsh’s positioning at midfield is a little peculiar. In the half-forward line, he can be an excellent aerial outlet and offer his clubmate Anthony Nash with another option aside from Harnedy. Cian McCarthy and Pa Cronin are capable of chipping in too. Ball winning was one of Cork’s areas for improvement last year.

Expect Waterford to indulge in some positional reshuffling. Tadhg de Burca may retreat to the full-back line in a swap with Barry Coughlan and there are suggestions Michael “Brick” Walsh could go to midfield, although his prowess at centre-back is known to all. An exchange between Jake Dillon and Colin Dunford in the forward line is likelier.

Cork hardly set the world alight this spring but then they weren’t so hot at the same stage last year. Harnedy shone when he had to: summer. The relative privacy of Division 1B has suited the management and they are back where they belong.

The unknown quantity that Waterford are in terms of Dunford and Austin Gleeson will have the Cork defence on alert and they should be keen to impose themselves on such markers with controlled aggression.

Waterford know, as much as Cork, that the Achilles Heel of the 2013 All-Ireland runners-up is still their half-back line. If the bookies are going to be proven wrong, it’s likely to be there where the favourites are exposed.

Cork might smile that their own shyness in front of goal is only trumped by Waterford’s indecision . The hope is that a combination of the surprise element and the return of Shane Walsh can do the trick.

The truth is Cork are qualified in the art of winning games without goals.

Waterford are still learning.

Verdict: Cork