While Cork have loftier goals later this summer, this afternoon they have a chance to claim a first Allianz Hurling League title since 1998 when they face old Munster rivals Tipperary at a sold-out Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Mark Landers was one man on the pitch that day in '98 for the Leesiders and he is very much hoping for some silverware for his county as they play Tipp for the first time in 65 years in a league final.
The ex-midfielder claimed the league title in his first full season on the senior panel - at the age of 25 - and won the All-Ireland as captain the following year.
Landers is hoping the Leesiders can return to winning ways in finals, which he has feels has been a weakness in recent years.
"Our Achilles' heel is getting over the final," he told RTÉ Saturday Sport. "Whether it be in the All-Ireland final or national league we have lost a good number of them.
"Cork will be hoping to right that wrong."
Just under two weeks ago it seemed Brian Hayes was out of the league final, after limping off with a knee injury against Galway, but the forward has been named in the starting XV, which was a surprise for Landers.
"It's a Lazarus-like recovery, I am shocked to be honest with you that he has been named to start.
"There was no expectation that he was going to start but I think it seems the injury, thankfully, was not as bad as first assumed.
"He was training, from what we can gather, during the week, but I suppose there is a question mark.
"The expectation is that he will start but I'm a bit surprised because all the talk was that he wouldn’t be back until the third round of the championship in the round robin, so we will have to wait and see."
Hayes might not be in the same boat as some of the Cork contingent like Patrick Horgan, Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy, who have been waiting all their careers for national silverware, but Landers emphasises the effect victory today could have.
"I think a national title would be very important for this particular panel of players in Cork.
"There are a lot of lads there with a lot of mileage and you always talk about people deserving something and getting something from the game... they have soldiered for 15 years with not a whole pile, they have no national medals, they have three Munster medals, but I have no doubt that they would really love to get a medal in their pocket."
Tipperary may not have had as long a drought as the Leesiders but it is 17 years since the league title lay with the Premier County.
They had a challenging championship season last year and Landers pinpoints the 4-30 to 1-21 trouncing for Liam Cahill's side in round four of Munster as a turning point.
"There is no doubt Liam Cahill was on the back foot after the championship performances last year really and the game against cork really was the nail in his coffin.
"They looked lifeless that day, they didn't have the stomach for the match.
"What Liam has done and has transformed the team in the last six or eight months has been phenomenal and has nurtured players like Darragh McCarthy, Joe Caesar, Sam O'Farrell and Robert Doyle. They are all young lads coming though to the team."
Landers feels Tipp's defence has improved markedly: "Obviously Eoghan Connolly at full-back has been really positive for them as well and then Michael Breen is finding his own at corner-back and he is a really good tough defender.
"The likes of Ronan Maher at centre-back has been outstanding and he has really been their launching pad and catalyst.
Landers also feels thinks Cahill will have learned lessons from Tipperary fading over the course of last season.
"I think Liam has probably learnt a lot as well in terms of timing and not exhausting the players all the time.
"In terms of where they are at, I don't think people would have seen Tipp being in the league final at the start of the season, but when we saw their first performance against Galway that marked them out that something was happening there.
"They backed it up and won all their games - barring the Limerick game - they are deserving finalists."
There has been a lot of talk about the contrast in support between the football and hurling league finals, with tickets for today's double-header (Waterford meet Offaly in the 1B decider) in Páirc Uí Chaoimh selling out in 20 minutes.
Landers says he feels lucky to have secured his seats and explains that many Cork fans will miss out.
"I'm lucky enough I got two tickets in Clare from a season-ticket holder so I'm much appreciative of it. It was hard to believe that when they went on sale they sold out in 20 minutes.
"There would be an awful lot of good die-hard Cork supporters that have followed the team all year to the league matches that are not getting to see the match live due to the lack of tickets on Sunday."
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