By Cian O'Connell

John Meyler collects match programmes and occasionally will go deep into the treasure. Recently Meyler flicked through one from the 2002 Munster Championship game between Cork and Waterford.

That May day in Semple Stadium Paul Flynn nailed a dozen points and Tony Browne bagged a goal as Waterford beat Cork 1-16 to 1-15, but Meyler was caught by the cast list in The Primary Game.

Meyler's son, Republic of Ireland soccer international, David, was involved. "He played in the primary game in 2002 against Waterford and scored 2-2," John Meyler reveals. "He was playing Noel Connors.

"I have the programmes. I keep programmes. I always watch programmes. Noel Connors was playing. Actually in goals that day, and this is something you probably wouldn’t know and wouldn’t think - Aidan Walsh was in goal for the under-12 team that day.

"So I keep those and I would go back and I look - even with the soccer reserve matches -  whatever, and I’d see who was playing and just check.

“2002, the day Cork played Waterford in Thurles and Tony Browne got a goal from 60 yards out over on the far sideline. A few good hurlers on that primary game."

Just over a decade and a half later Meyler will be on the sideline of the fields of the province managing Cork. A selector last year during Cork's dramatic return to southern prominence Meyler wants to maintain the high standards set then by an emerging collection of hurlers.

Meyler, though, has brought Eoin Cadogan, who he utilised in a backroom team role while over the Cork Under 21s, back into the fold and is unsurprised by his impact. "I worked with Cadogan last year with the under-21s," Meyler states.

"He brought a certain charisma to the whole set-up, a certain character.

"He won an All-Ireland football so he brought confidence and organisation. Got on very well with the under-21 team. That’s why I brought him in. He’s settled in nicely at full-back, done really well for us. He’s a good guy.

"He hadn’t played hurling for Cork for three or four years. You look at these guys and sometimes you get rid of old players that are 31, 32, 33. "What you lose then is their wealth of experience, their character. Where if you keep them inside the system, they can give the younger players confidence and that’s what Cadogan gave."

It was a strange spring for Cork, who started the campaign well by beating Kilkenny and finished it by retaining Allianz Hurling League Division 1A status following victory over Waterford. "As a Wexford man, being beaten by Kilkenny down through the years… Kilkenny are Kilkenny," Meyler remarks.

"Kilkenny are never gone. They might go to sleep for a year or two years, but they are never gone. There’s a line of hurlers coming through. I was at the colleges final recently, St Kieran’s were playing. They have won 10 out of the last 15 colleges All-Irelands, something like that.

"That would suggest that there is a conveyor of talent there. (Brian) Cody has nurtured those, got the best out of them. They will always be competitive."

Meyler did take nuggets of satisfaction from how some of Cork's youngsters adapted to the inter-county stage. "What we tried to get out of the League, after that Kilkenny match, we introduced a few new players," Meyler adds.

"We lost our next four games after that by an average of three or four points. We were trying to bring in new players, be competitive as well. That was the benefit of the League to us.

"I was happy with what we got but at the same time, you’d like to win the National Hurling League, win all your games. Sean O’Donoghue, Tim O’Mahony, Darren Browne, Robbie O’Flynn – those guys stepped up, played a big part.

"I was delighted with their input. Now we have to get them to step up in Championship, like the way (Mark) Coleman and (Darragh) Fitzgibbon stepped up last year. That’s what you’re trying to do. It’s a tough balance."

Meyler might look to the programmes in the past for information and inspiration as he prepares for a bright future Leeside.