Cork v Joe Canning

Unfortunately I didn't get to Thurles on Saturday evening for the hurling qualifier between Cork and Galway. I was in polite company but there was a little portable tv in the house I was in, tuned to the game. Regularly trailing off to see who Diarmuid O'Sullivan was trying to decapitate at any given moment, the bean an tí suggested I retire to the lounge where the host family possessed a tv set no less than 50 inches in size!!! A colossal behemoth of televisual indulgence. It didn't matter, as it was apparent on the portable just what a talent Joe Canning is.

The kid is 20years old and doesn't look remarkably athletic or too physically imposing. Yet there he was tossing the Rock aside, nonchalantly splitting him open before scoring his first goal in a haul of 2-12! The kid's calm and assurance is worth admiring. He resisted the longing advances of Mr Loughnane for a year, and his predecessor Conor Hayes also. How confident can a kid be, to be so certain that he is going to be an inter-county player that he could decide the timing himself? And without the arrogance one would have expected.

He makes the game look so simple. Slotting sideline balls over the bar from centre field direction, his confidence undimmed by a wayward effort from closer in, a couple of moments previously. The GAA really should reconsider their previous attempts to award 2 points for a converted sideline cut in hurling. Of course I am only calling for this as Ben O'Connor converted also so the margin of victory would remain unaltered, but the execution of such a difficult skill should be rewarded accordingly. In this year's Fitzgibbon Cup with LIT, Canning scored from four such line balls! Regular All Star forwards have gone four seasons without scoring a point from one line ball. Or indeed gone full hurling careers.

I think people should pay special attention to Joe Canning. His is a name that is going to be considered in the future with the likes of Ring and Carey. His potential is that he could outshine Tipp's Eoin Kelly or even Henry Shefflin, the game's current unchallenged master.

It's a terrible pity though that Galway lacked the guts and fire in their bellies to really attack top six opponents. They should have beaten Cork when one player scores 2-12 but with nobody else taking any responsibility they fell short. I thought one of the key elements Loughnane would contribute to Galway hurling would be fire and passion and an attitude where they wouldn't take a backward step. Instead it was the likes of Brian Murphy, Shane O'Neill and Sean Óg that brought fantastic levels of aggression that are crucial to winning any championship game in any sport.

I really hope that this is a kick start for Cork who haven't played well as a team since the Semplegate fiasco last year against Clare, and not a final sting from a dying wasp. There is potential there in the forward subs and the backs (D O'Sullivan aside) are still playing exceptionally well. A concern would be lack of a top class replacement if one of our centre fielders were suspended or injured. Kevin Hartnett acquired exposure to championship hurling over last 2 summers however taking Tom or Jerry out of the team would weaken it significantly.

John Gardiner at full back was excellent. He sets extremely high standards and rarely fails to meet them, even filling in in a position he has never played in previously. I think Sully's days may be numbered. The Dublin full forward identified a lack of athleticism in dragging him out around the field in order to challenge him, with success. While never blessed with astonishing pace, we could always rely on his physical strength, but J Canning cast a new light on that. Admittedly Canning fouled the ball in scoring that first goal, which referee Barry Kelly did not see, but taking on O'Sullivan in such a bold fashion which he has never been challenged may have indicated the start of one glorious hurling career and the end of another. It remains to be seen.