'Cork were really naive' - Former Limerick star Flanagan critiques 'poor' Rebels

Flanagan was at a loss to understand why Cork didn’t attempt to protect the full-back line as Aaron Gillane scored 1-7, 1-4 from play.

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026 - 21:14

John Fogarty and Cian Locke

Former Limerick hurler Seamus Flanagan has described as “poor” Cork’s in-game management in Sunday’s Division 1 final.

Flanagan was at a loss to understand why they didn’t attempt to protect the full-back line as Aaron Gillane scored 1-7, 1-4 from play.

In a six-point win over Cork, Gillane was crowned man of the match in Limerick’s fourth league title under John Kiely.

Flanagan suggested Cork may have different ideas for the counties’ Munster SHC Round 2 game on April 26 but he was struck by how offensive they played.

“I felt that Cork were really naïve in terms of going man-to-man and I suppose their lack of in-game management,” he told The View on the GAA+ YouTube channel.

“For the full 70 minutes, they did a full court press on Limerick. I would say after 20 minutes of that game, it should have been on the sideline for Cork to say, ‘Okay, this isn’t working. Let’s sit back, let’s put our half-forward line back, let’s put our midfield back and let’s just protect that inside line’.

“I just thought from the sideline, it was quite slow and again does it tie back into the point that maybe Cork are planning for it down the line. Okay, two losses in the league, is that going to be the be-all and end-all? Probably not.

“Can they plan for that first round of championship and a kind of an ambush down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh? I just thought the in-game management was quite poor yesterday. Seeing what was going on inside there with Gillane and it being one-on-one, I thought it was poor.” Flanagan also suggested the rotational policy adopted by Ben O’Connor during the league proper may have caught up with them in Sunday’s decider. “It looked like it wasn’t aligning for Cork. They didn’t know exactly what they were looking to do.

“Patrick Collins’ puck-outs, how many times has he hit to that half-forward line throughout the league? Once, twice max and at different stages maybe over a half.

“So, in terms of knowing that, understand the way players play, what runs they’re going to make, I think Cork struggled with that throughout the league. It’s a trade-off because you’re trying to uncover new players, develop players in the panel.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the counties’ Munster SHC opener on Sunday week, former Cork star Dónal Óg Cusack has said no team falls faster in inter-county hurling than Tipperary.

Speaking on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ, the current Cork U20 coach said: "I think of Tipperary as All-Ireland champions and nobody rising or falling as fast in my experience of being a hurling person. Their battle cry very much now is that they want to get back-to-back (for the first time since 1965). Will they be able for that?”

Cusack also rejected the idea they have had a quiet build-up to the game. "I don't understand how Tipp are coming underneath the radar. With all their victories over the last number of years, with documentaries, which is great to see, about their victory last year. But it’s a big story, that they haven’t won back-to-back since the 60s."

GAA+ “The View” can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXM73UFvsdw