Cork boss Pat Ryan reveals why a Munster Championship win should pave the way for an All-Ireland final

SINCE taking the reins, Pat Ryan has made no secret of his aim to guide Cork to a long-awaited victory in the race for All-Ireland gold.

For now though, he will settle for a place on the podium in Munster.

2

2

While his side were widely commended for their efforts in 2023, Ryan’s first season in the hotseat saw Cork fail to emerge from the provincial round-robin for the first time since its inception.

Limerick and Clare were the leaders of the pack again, with Tipperary completing the top three to qualify for an All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final.

The Munster Championship begins for Cork when they travel to Walsh Park to face Waterford on Sunday.

And if third place was offered to him now, Ryan would not hesitate to accept.

He admitted: “I’d bite your hand off for it. With the exception of Limerick maybe, everybody is looking for that – to get out of Munster. That’s the key for us. 

“We didn’t get out of Munster last year and that’s key to our year. Everything takes off after that.

“We know how competitive Munster is. If you come out of Munster, you should have aspirations of getting to an All-Ireland final at that stage.”

Although content with the consistency of his team’s performances last year, Ryan rejects the assertion that progress was made in the quest to end the longest Liam MacCarthy Cup drought in Cork’s history.

Following a win over Waterford and a draw with Tipperary, the fine margins at play in the Munster Championship were illustrated as their fate was sealed by one-point defeats to Clare and Limerick.

Ryan said: “We didn’t make progress. We didn’t get out. 

“We’re trying to get back to the top table and get into an All-Ireland final. We were in one in 2021 and we didn’t perform the way we would have liked. 

“Our job is to try and win an All-Ireland. That’s why we took the job on. Getting out of Munster is the first step in that. I’d bite your hand off for third. I think everyone would.”

When a defeat to Cork would have ended Limerick’s reign as All-Ireland champions, John Kiely’s men survived by the skin of their teeth before going on to complete a Liam MacCarthy Cup four-in-a-row.

All the while, the Rebels were left to sift through the rubble of a season that failed to make it beyond the month of May.

REBEL REFLECTION

Reflecting on 2023, Ryan continued: “From my point of view it was very disappointing. We probably got hollow victories out of it – fellas saying you did well and you did this against Limerick. 

“But that was no good to us and no good to the players. It was a tough two or three months, kind of what we could have done differently and things we learned from it. 

“I think we’re in a better place. But at the same time, I assume every team is in a better place than they were last year.”

Aided by the intel gleaned from his first year in charge, Ryan has identified several areas for improvement.

Citing 30 points per game as the tally required to triumph in modern Championship hurling, the former Cork midfielder wants a greater contribution to the scoreboard from his half-back line.

Indeed, Ryan’s charges racked up 1-30 at the Gaelic Grounds last summer yet still came up short against a Limerick side whose three green flags were decisive.

An increased goal threat is therefore high on his agenda too.

To that end, Alan Connolly’s recent return was timely. Having come through an injury nightmare caused by shoulder and hamstring issues, the 22-year-old forward was back in inter-county action during the National League.

After marking his first Cork start in 20 months with three goals in a hammering of Offaly, the Blackrock forward bagged another hat-trick six days later in the win against Wexford.

Ryan said: “We know Alan is a very good player but one thing that Alan does is he goes for goals.

“He’s very, very direct in the way he does it. Tipperary have a couple of those fellas – Jake Morris does that a lot. Aaron Gillane does that with Limerick as well. 

“From our point of view, it’s a vital component of the way we want to play. If we want to be successful this year, we’ll need to be scoring three or four goals. 

“If you want to be doing anything really in the Championship, I think you need to be scoring three or four goals to be winning your games.”

Ryan knows that his side can ill afford a stumble in this weekend’s opener against Waterford.

Still, with back-to-back games at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh to follow against Clare and Limerick, availing of home comforts will be essential.

He remarked: “If you lose your first game, it’s very hard to come out of it after that. After that, you’re trying to win two out of three. You want four or five points to make sure. 

“From our point of view, it’ll be a huge challenge for us but our two home games are key to us as well. Those two home games will decide our year.”

ALL-IRELAND HUNT

A member of the Cork panel who went all the way in 1999, Ryan is desperate to bring All-Ireland glory to Leeside for the first time since 2005.

The Sarsfields man said: “It’s a long time and it’s something we have to try and solve. We can’t hide from it. 

“In fairness, the Cork GAA public are only looking for some team to follow.

“Our job is to get them behind us because we all know if we get the Cork public behind us, we’ll be bringing 55,00 people to Croke Park. That’s what we need to get to.”

Their recent record at underage levels would suggest that generating top talent is certainly not an issue that needs to be addressed in Cork.

With Ryan as manager, consecutive All-Ireland Under-20 titles were claimed in 2020 and 2021.

Under Ben O’Connor, the Rebels conquered the grade last summer for the third time in four attempts.

Ryan added: “We know where we’re at as regards the last couple of years have been very disappointing as we haven’t won an All-Ireland in so long.

“Look, we have talent but we have to nurture it and see can we bring through a bit more. 

“Having talent alone isn’t going to result in us winning matches. Our job now is to get out of Munster and that’s the plan.”