BY JOHNNY CAROLAN
PAT Ryan knows what it’s like to win a national league title – and, equally, he knows that it doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything else.
In 1998, the current Cork hurling manager was part of Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s side that beat Waterford to win what was a second title in six years. While having silverware was surely a help when it came to going on to All-Ireland glory in 1999, an early championship exit meant that nobody was getting carried away with themselves.
‘It was important,’ he says, ‘as we had a lot of young fellas involved in ’98 and then a few more came along in ’99.
‘I’m very cognisant as well, we went on and won the league and then beat Limerick in the championship but got well beaten by Clare in the Munster semi-final.
‘Championship is where it matters, that’s what we’ll be judged on and this is a stepping stone to where we want to get to. If we can get over the line on Sunday, then it’s all systems go for Ennis and you’ve something in your back pocket to help you prepare for what’ll be a huge game.’
Twenty-seven years on and Cork are waiting to add to that 1998 victory. They take on Tipperary on Sunday at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (4pm) but the spectre of a championship clash with Clare looms on the horizon – a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final is Cork’s Munster SHC opener.
Whatever the result is on Sunday, it will be parked as focus turns to Ennis on Easter Sunday, April 20th, but Ryan firmly believes that a good league is a help rather than a hindrance in terms of mining a positive championship run.
‘I would have always felt that it was the best possible preparation,’ he says.
‘It doesn't lie, because the teams that have been winning the All-Irelands have been able to kind of keep their form high.
‘I think that's been aimed at us for a long time, that we're inconsistent, and I suppose we've been receiving criticism for a long time in Cork about not taking the league seriously.
‘I think we married it well this year in that we got to see a lot of players and got to rotate players. We've come to a situation now where everyone's coming back fit and everybody's ready and it'll be the same at the weekend again.
‘There's a couple of lads that kind of need game-time, and, look, they'll have to start in the game at the weekend, just to see can they get up to it.
‘I suppose the thing after Sunday is that, look, if you win, it gives you great momentum, it gives you good feelings going into the championship. If you lose, obviously there's a bit of negativity around and stuff like that heading into the championship.’
Cork hurling manager Pat Ryan.
While Brian Hayes will be absent after being forced off in Cork’s last match, the 12-point win over Galway that secured progression to the final, there was a consolation in that his knee injury was not season-ending. Beyond that, Cork are close to full-strength.
‘Micheál Mullins has a small hamstring issue that he picked up on our training camp and he won’t be back until the week of the Clare game, that kind of way,’ Ryan says.
‘He was disappointed, obviously – it’s a three-week thing that has come at the wrong time, coming up to championship.
‘Aside from that, Robbie O’Flynn is coming back from his bits and pieces, Conor’s coming back from his bits and pieces, so we’re just assessing them as regards what way they’ll be for the weekend. Ger Millerick should be back as well.’
Cork’s meeting with Tipperary in Thurles in February was their only defeat of the regular section of the league and Ryan knows that, if the trophy is to be won, then Liam Cahill’s side won’t be easily beaten.
‘Without a shadow of a doubt,’ he says.
‘In fairness to Tipp, they’ve been the best team in the league by far. They've had five wins out of six and, even if you look at the last game against Clare, when they didn't really need to win it to be in the league final, they went strong again.
The game kind of was looking like it was going to go away from them, but they showed great resolve to win that match.
‘Coming down to Páirc Uí Chaoimh is probably a help for them when they’re coming in the championship, too – it’s the same for Waterford – and I don’t think it’s something that daunts them. Every county is probably set in how they prepare and what way to prepare. From our point of view, look, it's good to be at home, it's good to be playing in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, we love playing there.
‘It’s great for our supporters as well and expect to put in a big performance. Winning is not to be-all and the end-all, but, at the same time, if you do win, it gives you good feelings going in to Clare in two weeks’ time, which is going to be the acid test of our season.’
