After a long and silverwareless stretch, Cork will be hoping the return of Jimmy Barry Murphy will help signal a change in fortunes for the Leesiders.
Denis Walsh has departed, but his efforts at restoring stability to a Rebels set-up, which had been inhibited by in-fighting and other shenanigans over the past few years, should not undervalued. Indeed, any future successes will owe a great debt to the understated work of the unassuming Ballynoe native.
But a consistent thorn in the side of Walsh was his omission of Seán Óg Ó h’Ailpín, and nothing short of the delivery of Liam MacCarthy back to the banks of the Lee would ever have justified that decision to leave him out in many people’s eyes.
Walsh is gone now, though, and Murphy is in and has restored h’Ailpín to the side. And not to his traditional role in the half-back line, but a more prominent position in midfield.
Whether Seán Óg will still be there in the summer is another question, but his vast experience will off-set the enthusiasm of league debutants Ross Cashman and Darren Sweetman.
JBM has set the retention of Division 1A status as his target, and a win at home to Waterford is almost a prerequisite if that is to be achieved.
The Déise are also under new management, and Michael Ryan has not had the most comfortable start to his reign.
The debacle with Eoin Kelly’s omission from the squad was one thing, but John Mullane’s decision to take a break from the inter-county scene only added to the feeling that all is not well in the camp in the south-east.
The reality is, however, that Mullane is better off without the rigours of a league campaign, and he will be all the more effective for his lay-off come the long evenings.
It might have to get worse before it gets better for Waterford, though, and anything other than a defeat on Saturday night will have to be viewed as a bonus.
