Alan Connolly has been the epitome of efficiency in an unpredictable Cork side who are both the leading scorers and the most porous defensively so far in the 2024 hurling championship.
The Blackrock club man has had just 15 touches from play in three full games, although a score has been the outcome of 14 of them, leading to 2-12 for Pat Ryan's team.
The 22 year-old has scored 1-08 so far in this championship, but from play he's managed 1-06, assisted a point, and has been fouled for a further 1-04 from frees. He was also denied a goal by a last-ditch challenge which went out for a converted 65. Just once has a Connolly involvement not resulted in a score, when Sean Finn denied him a goal with a superb block with Limerick gathering the breaks.
But what could Connolly and the Rebels be capable of if they were able to at least double the involvements of their young full-forward who has scored 7-12 in six outings in 2024?
Not only are Cork the top scoring team in the championship they were also the top scoring team in Division 1A. Going on to register 3-24 in defeat to Clare, and then 3-28 in a last gasp two-point win over Limerick.
After being physically bullied by Waterford they showed ferocious tenacity and togetherness against Clare and Limerick but purely emotionally-driven performances are unlikely to lead to them consistently coming out on top of these tight encounters. Cork need to show better economy of possession, and decision making around when to go long, when to pursue their running game, and when they need to find Connolly with targeted passes.
While at the other side of the field - over a third of the scores conceded in their win over Limerick last weekend originated from a Cork player being in possession. Which again emphasises the importance of decision-making in their approach play.
Connolly diligently stays deep inside where he relies on his team-mates finding him. He was in possession on just five occasions in each of the defeats to Waterford, Clare and again in the win over Limerick last weekend.
Against Waterford he touched the ball just once in the first half, against Clare just three times before half-time with his first coming after 22 minutes. All of them resulted in scores. He only got on it twice in the first half against Limerick, along with a turnover tackle on Gearóid Hegarty, providing a glimpse of the ruthless streak he usually reserves for when in scoring range, but clearly an area of his game he is developing.
There's been a lot of hype and hope around a player who has scored 16 goals in 24 league and championship matches, despite only starting 14 of them within several injury-hit seasons.
In 2020 he was number 14 as Cork won their first Under-20 All-Ireland title since 1998, with the Rebels contesting five of the past six finals and winning three. Pat Ryan who was also manager in 2020, has since brought several of that team through to form the new spine of his senior selection.
Connolly is arguably the standout. His cool scoring instinct and decision making in pressure situations, twinned with his positional maturity and timing to turn and go directly for goal all equates to the sort of scorer Cork can build a winning team around.
His patience in staying inside creates space for others and stretched the Limerick defence last weekend, although he needs to want that marksman mantle, which means not accepting five involvements per 70-plus minutes.
All of Connolly's possessions in the 2024 championship have been within the opposition 45, he's received and gathered 10 targeted passes, and two hand passes. With his 15 possessions he ran direct on 10 occasions, and has been fouled for a scoreable free with a third of his touches. This fouling - along with the limited supply - has restricted him to just three goal chances.
Cork have scored 19 goals in eight league and championship games this year, scoring in each of them – but even within that they only scored 43% of their 14 goal chances across the last two games. Cork's approach is very much to outscore any opposition rather than contain them and they have the ingredients to repeat it. But Connolly is their most efficient route to getting those scores, rather than fully relying on breaks, endeavour and percentages.
Connolly has a shot saved by Limerick keeper Nickie Quaid
Just as Clare and Limerick mix targeted passes into the space in front of Shane O'Donnell and Aaron Gillane, along with running the ball and going direct, Cork need to develop a similar balance which would see Connolly really catch fire.
Cork's young forwards – accompanied by the excellent form of Seamus Harnedy and Patrick Horgan, and the physicality and dynamism of Declan Dalton - all bring different things to Cork's attack which combined makes them so hard to defend.
Against Limerick, Cork played 13 targeted passes to a forward, leading to six scores and eight scoring chances in total. While they landed long balls on their forward line on 32 occasions, with over 40% of those contested by Brian Hayes.
The big dual star produced a huge performance scoring two points but also winning almost two thirds of the balls he contested in the forward line. He caught two of them, with six of eight leading to scores. He's tall, rangy, skillful and honest.
Shane Barrett scored 1-02 and assisted or was fouled for a further 1-04 to go with his three points against Waterford. His pace and off the shoulder running is another card in Cork's attacking deck. And the three combine well too.
Connolly plays close to goal, often alone, but particularly when Cork are going very long and direct he does better to feed off another forward such as Hayes rather than being the focal point contesting himself. While he assisted a Barrett score with a quick handpass against Limerick, showing an instant awareness for his former Under-20 team-mate's movement.
On the other side of things Cork have a lot of work to do on tightening things up defensively.
Looking at the Limerick game in isolation and 44% of the scores they conceded originated from Nickie Quaid puckouts, or frees from defence and other non scoreable opposition setpieces. While over 20% were the result of Cork losing possession trying to play it short. Limerick, as they do, generated 18% of their scores from winning contests around the middle third, and 15% came from turning over Cork attacks.
So a substantial amount of those scores originated from Cork players being in possession, which raises the question whether they should opt for more targeted deliveries into Connolly rather than trying to go long quickly or work the ball through the press so often.
With this talented new crop emerging Cork have the range of talent to outscore any team, but decision making will prove crucial to how their season unfolds starting against Tipperary in Thurles.
One thing is already clear however, the surest way for them to score is to get the ball into Connolly's hand.
Watch the Munster Hurling Championship double bill, Clare v Waterford and Tipperary v Cork, on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
