'Powerhouse' Cork are building towards becoming a force again, warns Galway selector
Cork’s Brian Hurley and Derry's Christopher McKaigue
“If and when they get their act together”, Cork will once again be a footballing “force”.
That’s according to Galway selector John Concannon who says their Division 2 opponents this weekend are “way better” than what they’ve shown in the opening three rounds of the League.
Unbeaten Galway travel to Leeside tomorrow evening to face a Cork side that is without a win in Division 2 and likely still reeling from their nine-point shellacking away to Derry last Sunday, a fixture during which the visitors to Owenbeg managed only a paltry three points from play across the 70-plus minutes.
Not since the county’s 2019 League campaign, which ended in relegation to Division 3, have Cork gone four consecutive games without a victory. It’s a run they’ll be desperate to avoid repeating on home soil tomorrow and given their backs are firmly against the wall, Concannon knows Keith Ricken’s charges will make for difficult opposition at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“Cork need a win big time,” said Galway selector Concannon.
“Nobody wants to see Cork down in Division 3, so they'll be going all guns blazing to get a victory on Saturday. They have only one point out of six, but have had a few tough games against Derry and Roscommon. With the Barrs lads back with them and they being at home, it will be a very difficult fixture for us.”
Concannon points to Cork’s underage All-Ireland double from 2019 and the structures put in place as part of the five-year football plan as evidence that the county is building, adding that when this talent and work translates to on-field performances, Cork will again be a force.
“Traditionally, they are a powerhouse. They have some good players. Two years ago, they beat Kerry at a time when everyone thought Kerry were going to beat Dublin and win the All-Ireland.
“They have the biggest number of clubs in the country. If and when they get their act together, they will be a force.
“At the moment, things aren't going their way, but they are definitely way better than what they have shown in the first three League games. Last weekend, they had a brilliant goal chance just before Derry got their goal. Had Cork got that, it would have made it a one-point game. Games change on things like that. We won't be taking them for granted on Saturday.”
With Galway’s postponed Round 3 fixture against Offaly expected to be rescheduled for the break weekend at the beginning of next month, tomorrow’s game represents their first of five straight weekends on the go. And should they reach the League final, it will mean six consecutive weekends of action for Pádraic Joyce’s charges.
Consider too that nine of Joyce’s panel were involved right up to the concluding evening of the Sigerson Cup and it means management have a delicate balancing act to strike between chasing Division 1 promotion while not overloading a group of players - many of whom are first-team regulars - who have already clocked significant mileage in recent weeks.
“Lads want to play games, but five weekends in a row is conducive to injury and player burnout. We are in daily talks with Jonathan Harris-Wright and the rest of the strength and conditioning team where they are looking at the GPS stats, the load players have in their legs, and the amount of games they are playing.
“The hardest thing is to tell the lads they can't play this game or you're only playing 35 or 40 minutes in that game. You know young lads; they want to play every single game, especially when they are in really good form and have that winning momentum from the Sigerson. But we have to manage them coming up to championship."
By which point in the calendar Galway hope to again hold Division 1 status.
“No more than talking about Cork as a football stronghold, we feel Galway should be in Division 1 all the time. Our main aim is to keep winning and get promoted to Division 1.”
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