Cork's start to the Allianz Hurling League proved inauspicious as they tasted defeat against Clare last weekend and with financial factors among the pressure points at play, Shane McGrath feels it is imperative for Pat Ryan's team to get back to winning ways when they take on Kilkenny on Saturday night.
The top tier of the league will be restructured in time for next year with a new-look Division 1A comprising the top seven teams.
The top three teams in 1A and 1B will be placed in the new 1A for 2025, along with the better performing fourth-placed team. The bottom five will be tipped into 1B, along with top teams from this year's 2A.
The leading counties will all be vying to secure a spot in the new-look 1A and speaking on Thursday's RTÉ GAA Podcast, All-Ireland winning former Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath said a Cork side, who he had expected would look to really target the league, are already under pressure to try on put themselves in a position to be part of that top flight.
"This Cork group, they need a national title. They have won a few Munsters but at senior level they need a national title," he said.
"I just think Saturday night down in Cork, that this is the game they should really be targeting.
"There should be a great buzz around training this week. There should be no need to get lads going or anything like that but they have to perform.
"If a message is going to be sent out by Cork, it has to be sent out on Saturday night. If they don't get a win Saturday night - and I've said it before - 1B is a much softer side to try and make the top three because you have Antrim and Westmeath there and the way Dublin are hurling at the moment, Tipp, Galway and Limerick will really say, 'We beat Dublin and we're in the top three'.
"Whereas 1A, all the teams are going to look at Offaly as their banker and I just think after that then, it could be anyone. It could be Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kilkenny, Clare.
"So if (Cork) don't get anything out of this Saturday night, then they have a couple of weeks off (and) I think there will be some serious head-scratching going on to say, 'How are we going to get into 1A?'
But beyond the prestige of playing in 1A, McGrath added that the potential financial implications of not making it would weigh heavy for the county.
"I think the financial thing is going to be a factor now. Two hundred grand, Cork are making on their league gates," he said, adding that it would be difficult to garner those figures unless the Rebels are playing elite opposition at home every other week.
"I think it was mentioned that the first round league games were down on attendance from last year. But I'm telling you at the good games, there was some crowd at it.
"Take Cork and Limerick last year in the league. Was there 20,000 people at it? I think that really now, financially and for the group, Cork need to get this win (against Kilkenny)."
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Watch Cork v Kilkenny in the Allianz Hurling League on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch highlights on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 9.30pm, follow a live blog every Sunday afternoon on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live updates on Sunday Sport
