When he took the job as Cork under-20 manager in 2019, Pat Ryan gave an insight into how he sees the game – and those playing it.
"Developing the player, the person, making them better kids, making them more grounded, making sure they are looking after their schoolwork, their jobs, that is all a holistic approach to the player.
"Winning is a huge part of it but we can't put winning at the top, it has to be the development and hopefully winning comes out of that. Of course, we have to win. The more successful you are, the better they feel about themselves. Cork is all about having a winning culture," he said in an interview with the Irish Examiner.
That winning culture is built on a foundation of excellence over the years with 80 All-Ireland titles across senior, under-20/21 and minor with 111 Cork hurlers winning All-Stars since the scheme was first introduced in 1971.
But they haven't brought Liam MacCarthy home to Leeside since 2005 and, upon replacing Kieran Kingston as senior manager last year, Ryan admitted his three-year term would be a failure if Cork - who travel to Pearse Stadium to take on Galway this Sunday - didn’t get past the final championship tape in that time.
No matter what happens, title wise, however, it’s very unlikely that anything involving Pat Ryan and his accomplished backroom could ever be deemed a failure – or anything near it. He is an out-and-out hurling man; a talented former player who joined the Cork underage set-up well over a decade ago and who has scarcely stopped learning since.
The word from Cork players is that the level and quality of training and coaching is top class with Cappoquin’s Donal O’Rourke impressing everyone.
Ryan’s other coaches and selectors are all highly regarded. He has known Wayne Sherlock for over 25 years, he worked with Donal O'Mahony from Bishopstown in 2016 and 2017 with the senior team. He played U21 hurling with Brendan Coleman from Youghal in 1997 and the two went on to hurl senior for the county afterwards. And Ryan brought Fergal Condon from Aghada into the set-up after his excellent work with Imokilly and various development squads.
Change is needed as they find their rhythm, but how much?
Will it be enough for graft and craft to align to get Cork back to where they belong?
For the past number of years there has been a lamenting of a lack of physicality in the Cork club scene, translating to county underage teams and manifesting in a running, possession style game at senior level.
Physically, they haven’t been able to match teams like Limerick or before them Kilkenny.
That’s slowly changing at ground level where strength and conditioning programmes from underage academies are now bearing fruit higher up.
And upon taking the big job, Ryan has not been shy in establishing other goals.
"If we want to be doing anything this year, we have to be getting three to four goals in every match," he said after they beat Limerick in an exciting league opener in front of 19,516 last Saturday night.
A look back at the championship stats of the past five years would back that view up.
In 2022, they hit 4-96 in four games but 3-30 of that came against an out of sorts Tipp side. They fired 1-21 against Galway, making it five goals in five games.
The year before it was seven goals in four games.
In 2020 it was three in three, 10 goals in six games the year before and in 2018 they hit seven goals from five games.
In total that’s 32 green flags in 22 games, an average of 1.45 goals per game over the past five years and well shy of what Pat Ryan is looking for.
There is also a more physical aspect of their style that needs addressing. In full flow Cork are freestyling and fluid. But to gain primary possession of the ball in a sport full of short passes, ferocious hits and rucks, and a direct ball into their forward line they also need more power players to launch those attacks and deprive opponents.
To that tune, the likes of Ben Cunningham, Ethan Twomey, Eoin Downey and Ben O’Connor, will surely have a role to play going forward. Cathal Cormack and Brian Hayes are big strong men, Declan Dalton had massive underage promise and is another big man also brought back into the fray.
"Whatever Pat Ryan said at half-time, and there must have been a few choice words, this was a different Cork team."
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 5, 2023
Jackie Tyrrell analyses Cork's comeback win against Limerick. #AllianzLeagueSunday #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/8CAZMXCaqO
As the county delves into a 19th season without a senior hurling title, the hunt for more goals and the need for more physicality will be worked upon.
But already, from what we have seen in the Munster senior league and the Allianz League opener, there are signs of a successful combination of soft skills and hard application.
Whilst encouraging, there is still a long road to tread and as they go to Galway tomorrow it will be another test of their resolve against a side who Henry Shefflin has had over a season to work with.
Cork went from 1998 to 2020 without winning a title at under U21/20 level but under Ryan's guidance, they won back-to-back All-Irelands.
There are no guarantees he and his coaches can work the oracle again at senior level but each step they take this season will tell them more about what direction they are headed and what refining is needed.
But they start from a good base. They know each other well - out of 40 players on his panel, Ryan had worked with 37 of them along the way up.
The players are clear on what is required of them on the training field and if they can mould a template and figure a way to marry that intense, robust, powerful modern hurling style with their natural flair and flamboyance, the word 'failure’ cannot be relayed too often.
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