Cork will be without Donncha O'Connor for Saturday's Munster football semi-final against Tipperary.
O’Connor, who has nine goals and 125 points in 38 championship outings, has an ankle injury but he is expected to be fit for the provincial final on July 6th, should Cork progress.
If we are to believe Tipperary manager Peter Creedon, following the win over Limerick on May 31st, the footballers he sends into Pairc Uí Chaoimh are 10 points the lesser team.
Strong motivation “I think anyone who has played Sigerson or played Tipp at U
-21 or minor knows they're waiting to come," said Cork goalkeeper Ken O'Halloran. "They've players who would start on any team in the country. They won the division four, they've the incentive of the draw in Munster, they're only dying to take a scalp. If we don't play 100 per cent we won't win. We don't think it's that much. We've the utmost respect for them. That's nonsense."
O’Hallloran waited behind Alan Quirke since 2010 and his time appears to be at hand.
“I’d three seasons on the bench, no two seasons . . . ”
He has to count them to be sure: “2011, 2012, 2013, three seasons on the bench, so it is the way it is when you are behind a good ’keeper . . . You have to just try and improve, learn from him and when you get the chance try and take it.
“You look at fellas who stuck it out, like Anthony Nash did it in hurling. He stuck it out as well [behind Donal Óg Cusack].
“I was sitting beside guys like Graham Canty and Nicholas Murphy so who was I to be giving out? I just had to be patient.”
The appointment of fellow Bishopstown club man Brian Cuthbert has brought an element of continuity as he was a selector under Conor Counihan, which is important considering Cork are no longer reliant on players like Canty or Murphy.
Key injuries “You always knew he was going to be a brilliant manager. He trained us for two years with Bishopstown and brought us on an awful lot
. . . You always knew he’d be a brilliant coach.”
Kevin Crowley and Brian O’Driscoll are also out with injury so Cuthbert’s attack will change. Aidan Walsh and Denis Cahalane only returned to the panel this week having focussed on hurling in recent months.
Cuthbert announces his team tonight.
