ENOUGH TO MAKE ME HURL
Tipp hero Maher’s not a fan of Rebel style of play after their tough start
TIPPERARY legend Padraic Maher has described Cork’s playing style as “not really hurling” as they fight to stay in the Championship.
Kieran Kingston’s side travel to Thurles to take on Clare on Sunday on the back of a heavy defeat against Limerick last Sunday week, the third time they’ve been decisively beaten by the All-ireland champions in Championship hurling in the last 12 months.
The inability of Cork to make any inroads on Limerick has led to frustration on Leeside. Their style of play is seen as too laborious, a point that Limerick hammered home, particularly with Aaron Gillane’s goal which came after Cork were turned over in their own defence.
Maher said: “The Cork style at the moment, I wouldn’t be a fan of it. It’s not really hurling. It’s over and back the pitch, going back the way. It’s not recycling.
“The forwards they have – fair enough, play it through the lines up to a certain point but then give your forwards good quality ball, good quick ball, that’s what they’re crying out for.”
Maher even suggested that Cork’s inside forwards may be giving up on making runs due to the ponderous approach play.
“If you take Patrick Horgan or someone, Shane Kingston, they’re probably making three, four or five runs and then the ball is still not coming into them. Or even, they’re probably giving up on making runs now,
that they know it’s not going to come in.
“I know from marking some of the Limerick lads, they make one or two runs and that ball does be delivered in.
“They know once the run is being made that they’re going to get it so it comes down to coaching and repeating it day, day out.”
Playing style is a vexed issue in Maher’s own county just now, particularly after their heavy beating from Clare last Sunday that leaves their Championship aspirations hanging by a thread.
The 33-year-old says that a balance between marrying Tipp’s traditional style with a more modern approach has yet to be struck but insists they must persist with the direction of travel under Colm Bonnar.
“I know people at home were saying, ‘This is not the Tipp way’ but I don’t know if going back to the full Tipp traditional way of hurling is going to work.
“The reason teams are playing like this now is because it’s the winning style, Limerick, and Waterford are getting good at it as well.
“You can marry the two with working the ball through the lines and off the shoulder running with Tipp and then, at a certain point of the pitch, let the Tipp style come out and let the ball in quick to the forward line.”
Reflecting on the Clare defeat, Maher said: “You would feel sorry for Colm Bonnar. There’s going to be a lot of eyes and a lot of pressure on him, but it’s a small bit of transition.”