RTÉ analyst Joe Brolly has written off any claims Cork may have to mounting a serious challenge in the Championship this summer after witnessing the Rebels' thumping defeat to Dublin in Sunday’s Allianz Football League final.
Brian Cuthbert’s side were brushed aside by the Dubs 1-21 to 2-07 at Croke Park and Brolly believes judging on the performance and its likely after effects, Cork are “dead now for the rest of the Championship”.
Cork have lost three major games in humiliating fashion in the past 12 months; going down in last year’s league semi-final to Dublin after holding an eight-point half-time lead, a Munster final drubbing by Kerry and then yesterday’s capitulation to Dublin.
Speaking on RTÉ’s League Sunday, Brolly said: “It was so humiliating. I thought of the difference, for example, of Kerry compared to Cork. Kerry at their lowest ebb would never allow that to happen.
“Cork quit, and they quit so suddenly, just as they did in the semi-final last year. I think that that’s the end of them for this year.
“It was such a bloodless effort.”
The former Derry forward added: “They quit. You could sense it when a team plays without spirit. After 12 minutes the score was five points to nil and the game was over.
“I was at the ground. The game was over and it was very slack. The Dubs were able to do as they will. Now the Dubs were very, very good but they will look like that unless you bring war to them.
“The point that I’m making is that Cork are not Derry, Cork are a team with serious pretensions prior to today to do well in the Championship and they were coming here to test themselves.”
Brolly then concluded his clinical assessment, pronouncing: “You cannot put a positive spin on Cork’s performance. I believe they are dead now for the rest of the Championship.”
