Team management has changed beyond recognition since the days of Sean (Boylan) with Meath or Billy Morgan in Cork and ‘Babs’ Keating’s reign over Tipperary. There are few if any capable of embarking on stints of the longevity of those like Kieran McGeeney or Mickey Harte or John Kiely.
Even allowing for that, though, the speed with which rumours began to rumble regarding Ben O’Connor’s tenure with the Cork hurlers has been staggering.
Remember, here are a bunch of players who made it all the way to the All Ireland Final what feels like half a year ago. Wherein they had the ‘misfortune’ to run into the greatest team of their generation.
Mind you, having come up short in a few different finals in recent seasons, and under two different management teams, you’d have to wonder if the reasons for their shortcomings are inside the white line rather than in the dugout.
Yet the rumblings in Rebel territory lately would leave the distinct impression that there’s growing frustration within the red ranks. How else to explain three recent departures from Ben O’Connor’s backroom team?
Most especially the drawing of stumps by selector Ronan Curran, who, up to press, had been the one constant in any management team the Newtownshandrum clubman has gone into battle with. What might be even more significant is that the former top class centre half back cited “The alignment of thoughts not being in tandem within the management team” as to how to go about winning the All Ireland SHC.
Now, as if to smooth over the cracks that would very obviously hint at, the St Finbarr’s man seemed to be at pains to point out “Despite all the rumours, me and Ben remain the best of friends”. If you’re having to force home the point, one could very easily doubt the voracity of what’s being said. Moreover, cliché though it might be, there is indeed never smoke without fire.
Which would in turn add credence to what sources down by the Lee had imparted in this direction that there was at the very least some acrimony within the think tank regarding the utilisation – or not – of a particular player. The debate of which ended up being a Done Deal (There’s your clue) in the negative column.
However, in the interest of fairness, it should be pointed out that the loss of a full back on any GAA team usually spells code red disaster. Especially when the occupant of the No. 3 jersey is as good as Kieran Joyce.
For what it’s worth, I would agree with Curran’s contention that Cork do indeed have some of the finest hurlers in the country. But they’ve had them for the duration of Pat Ryan’s tenure and thusfar under Ben’s stewardship.
So the question then is what exactly is it that The Rebels are short of? Is it a different type of player or a different approach from a coaching perspective? Who or what the solution to either issue would be only time will tell.
This story is liable to run for a bit.
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