Christopher Joyce: Cork building for a long summer

Christopher Joyce is paying little heed to league results. There are far more important matters at play, insists the Cork hurler.

Christopher Joyce: Cork building for a long summer

For last Sunday’s Division 1A fixture away to Clare, Joyce was part of a defence of which four members did not see a single minute of championship game-time last summer.

Eoin Cadogan has returned after three seasons with the footballers, Sean O’Donoghue and Tim O’Mahony made their first league appearances last month, while Sunday’s defeat to the Banner represented Darren Browne’s first competitive start in a Cork shirt.

From last year’s rearguard, Damien Cahalane and Mark Coleman are shortly due back from injury, while it remains to be seen if management will persist with Mark Ellis at midfield, as was experimented at Ennis. Irrespective, Joyce can’t stress enough the importance of handing league minutes to Browne, O’Donoghue, and O’Mahony.

In 2017, Cork started the same six defenders for each of their three Munster championship outings. Remember, though, those games were spread across a seven-week period. Their 2018 provincial schedule shows four games in five weeks and so Joyce knows they won’t be able to rely on the same players week in, week out.

“The same 15 won’t make it through this new Munster championship. Guys will get injured, guys will pick up knocks. You have to be building a squad and that is what we are doing at the moment,” says the 26-year old.

“In previous years, people might have been afraid to try new guys in the league as you want to give your starting 15 as much game-time as possible because you are trying to gel a team. You have to give guys game-time this year. It is really helping to build the squad going forward that a lot more lads have got game-time than in years previous.”

Joyce, now in his seventh season with Cork, has been impressed with the newcomers in defence. They’ve yet to concede a goal in the league and, although there were far more negatives than positives coming out of Cusack Park last weekend, the full-back line of O’Donoghue, Cadogan, and Colm Spillane had held Clare’s inside trio to just one point from play.

“Lads will be nervous, it being their first year getting game-time and they are trying to impress. I think they have all done well. The full-back line, in particular, has done really well.

“Darren [Browne] came into the half-back line the other day and did well. Tim [O’Mahony] has come in at centre-back and fitted in brilliantly. We need to get used to playing with each other. It is great for the squad going forward that these guys, Robbie O’Flynn and Jack O’Connor too, are seeing action.

“You can’t just throw these guys in the championship and see how they do. You have to give them league time. They’ve all got two, three league games under their belt and it is only going to benefit them and the squad.”

Waterford are the visitors to Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Sunday. Both teams are languishing in the bottom half of the table; Waterford have suffered three defeats in a row, while Cork have not picked up points since their opening night win over Kilkenny. A third consecutive defeat for John Meyler’s side would heap on the pressure going into the final round to avoid a relegation play-off.

“Coming into this weekend, what we are focusing on is a good performance,” says Joyce. “This time of year,

you need to be working hard to get match fit. The league is different to previous years in that you don’t have a weekend off in between games. It is a good dress rehearsal for championship.”

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Back-to-back titles for Spioraid Naoimh after win over 14-man Clonakilty Community College Back-to-back titles for Spioraid Naoimh after win over 14-man Clonakilty Community College
Adam O'Sullivan missed final due to Cork U20's upcoming Munster championship Adam O'Sullivan missed final due to Cork U20's upcoming Munster championship
Monaghan v Armagh - Allianz Football League Division 1 Kernan doesn't want return of Armagh 'handcuffs'
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited