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John Meyler remains optimistic

Cork manager John Meyler pictured ahead of the 2018 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final against Limerick at Croke Park.

Cork manager John Meyler pictured ahead of the 2018 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final against Limerick at Croke Park.

By Cian O'Connell

Two Munster titles on the spin confirms Cork’s potential, but John Meyler remains optimistic that further progress will be made.

This weekend’s Fenway Classic in Boston offers an ideal opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved, but also to get ready for the 2019 campaign according to Meyler.

“The trip offers two purposes really,” Meyler says. “It is just a way of saying thank you to the lads for the last couple of years and it is a competitive game of hurling against Clare in Boston.

“It is also good to get pre-season going. We are back officially on December 1 so it is a nice way to come into it too. It is a holiday and a competitive game of hurling. From the point of view of organisation this trip couldn't come at a better time. You have County Championships over, some fellas are finished for a good few weeks. It is a kickstart.

“We want to be competitive in Boston as well, Clare are defending champions. They have that advantage over us in terms of the rules and that. We have tried to practice them. It is a smaller pitch, it is tighter so your control has to be better. It is a fantastic couple of days.”

Clare took plenty of positives from the 2017 event in the United States of America with the trip frequently referenced. “Yeah, there is a bonding when you are going to be there for a few days.” Meyler admits. “You have a bit of training, a bit of hurling.

“You have a chance to play together and you get a chance to gel together. It can serve that purpose of developing a strong culture within a group. That is really what it is about.”

Limerick manager John Kiely and Cork boss John Meyler following the thrilling 2018 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final at Croke Park.

Limerick manager John Kiely and Cork boss John Meyler following the thrilling 2018 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final at Croke Park.

Having served as a selector under Kieran Kingston in 2017 before taking charge in 2018 how does Meyler rate Cork’s development? “From the point of view of overall success you haven't won an All Ireland, but you have won two Munsters, you played in two semi-finals so there is a progression being made,” Meyler responds.

“Next year is just a matter of building on the two years. The loss of Alan Cadogan last year was massive as we got further along the line. You are always going to have injuries, those things happen so we just have to build on the last two years and that is the challenge for us in 2019.”

How Cork have integrated promising emerging hurlers into the set-up is a source of pride and Meyler expects several more to deliver consistently at the highest level soon. “The likes of Tim O'Mahony, Robbie O'Flynn, Sean O'Donoghue, Darren Browne, David Griffin - they are all now around 21 and are gone from the Under 21 grade,” Meyler states.

“O'Donoghue stepped up last year and he consolidated his place. It is up to Darren Browne, Tim O'Mahony, Robbie O'Flynn and those to step up another gear. There is a constant process of introducing new players, bedding them into the panel for two, three, four years trying not to rush them straight in.

“The likes of (Mark) Coleman and (Darragh) Fitzgibbon were overnight successes. That really doesn't happen anymore. Players need to be bedded into the panel which is another advantage of the trip. Some fellas have been around for a couple of years, they will get a chance to interact with the older fellas.

“The likes of Jack O'Connor is only in doing his second year with us so it is a chance for them to develop, to push on in Boston, push on in the Munster Hurling League, the National Hurling League and that is what we are trying to get that progression going forward.”

It is a particularly interesting time for the game with so many counties believing that the Liam MacCarthy Cup can be hoisted. “If you look at last summer the hurling that was offered was of tremendous value to supporters,” Meyler remarks.

Cork manager John Kiely.

Cork manager John Kiely.

“You are looking at teams playing seven, eight or nine games to win an All Ireland. Often you probably played a Leinster or Munster final, an All Ireland semi-final and final. Maybe two or three games to win an All Ireland.

“You have seven, eight or nine games now to win an All Ireland so you are not going to play well in all of the games. It is a matter of being consistent over the seven or eight games. It is a bit like the All Blacks they never lose because they are so consistent. That is really it.

“You have to build that going forward. 2019 will be crazy. We are out first against Tipperary at the Park on May 12 and we have Limerick the following week. Supporters will be clapping their hands at the hurling. It is incredible, the value that everybody got this summer.”

Valuable lessons were learned during the first instalment of the new Championship format. “The whole thing this year was about recovery,” Meyler adds. “I have been an advocate of playing matches.

"This thing of training for four or five months for one match and you don't know when the next match is, that was the novelty of it that there was a match every Sunday. Everybody said the hurling was brilliant, the players loved it, you had no complaints.

“Maybe one team played four weeks in a row or something like that, but that can be tweaked. It is not a problem and people really voted for the quality of the hurling by the numbers that attended. 2019 will be crazier I think.”

That campaign is edging closer and Meyler will be attentively monitoring how his youngsters fare on the hallowed Fenway Park turf.

To purchase tickets for The Fenway Hurling Classic click here.