The Premier Cork SHC gets off the ground over the coming days and despite the acute pain of the All-Ireland loss, the opportunity is now presented to try and focus the mind elsewhere.
The margin for error has been minimal since the introduction of the current format, three groups of four with just the top two progressing to the knockout stage.
The games will come thick and fast over the next couple of months and it goes without saying that the opening assignment is crucial for every team.
With just two of the four having their season extended, an opening day loss puts you on the back foot immediately and thereafter the pressure is considerably intensified.
Making a prediction on who will emerge is no easy task and the championship is far more open now than it used to be in the old days when it was a near certainty that one from the Rockies, Barrs and Glen would end up with the trophy.
All three will be expected to figure prominently again but the chasing pack are much closer now than they used to be.
The colleges/divisional section has been weakened considerably with those teams finding it more and more difficult to make any sort of an impact.
The one exception, of course, has been Imokilly who continue to be a thorn for all the rest and as reigning champions, it’s a near certainty that they should be in the equation again.
The loss of the Watergrasshill contingent, players of the calibre of Sean Desmond, Adam Murphy and Daire O’Leary might lessen their impact, but such is the depth of talent in the division and the effort that is put in each time by the management, they may again be the side to defeat.
Then again who knows because with club commitments and sometimes the reluctance of club bosses to release their players, it can create a problem.
But Imokilly over the years have found a way and current boss, Denis Ring and his management try to ensure that the best of preparation is available by playing a number of challenge games.
Overall, though this colleges/divisional section has been a huge disappointment, evidenced by the fact that so many games have been totally lopsided, last season’s final a prime example.
Imokilly manager Denis Ring and selectors celebrate after defeating Sarsfields last season. Picture: Eddie O’Hare
So, to the three groups, there is always one that has the group of death tag alongside it but it’s very much a case now of all three carrying a similar tag.
On paper anyway, Group 1 looks to be one of the more difficult to nail down.
The Glen have three East Cork teams to contend with, Sarsfields, Erin’s Own and Fr O’Neill’s.
An initial glance might lead one to favour the city team and Sars as the top two but they will be mindful of what O’Neill’s did to the Barrs last season, eliminating the Togher team from the equation.
Erin’s Own teams always ensure that their opponents never get anything easy and while they might not carry the players who gave the club such sterling sevice anymore there is still a decent blend to the side. Their local derby with Sarsfields will capture the imagination it always does when these two collide.
Sars, for obvious reasons, are one of the more fancied teams and their recent accomplishment of winning the Premier SHL for the third year running was a superb achievement.
There is great depth to their squad and team boss Johnny Crowley continues to get the best out of the players. Last season’s final loss to Imokilly cut deeply in Riverstown and that only adds to their determination to make amends.
The Glen were miles ahead of the rest in the Senior A championship last season and that year out has helped to restore lost confidence.
The club’s second team have been making waves too and there is a wealth of young talent emerging with last season’s Premier 1 minor success following on from two more wins in that grade.
There is much to look forward to in this group and we’ll be more wiser after the collision of the Glen and Erin’s Own and Sars and O’Neill’s this weekend.
Prediction: Sars and the Glen to emerge.
Group 2 consists of Newtownshandrum, Midleton, Newcestown and Charleville and the main focus there will be on the clash of Newtown and Charleville, a local derby if there was ever one.
Newcestown are always one of the grittiest sides to encounter, it’s in their nature to proved the toughest of tests for any opposition and nothing ever comes easy when they line up alongside you.
Midleton were close last season, losing by the bare minimum to Sars in the semi-final and that suggests their presence this time will be considerable again.
Midleton’s Luke O’Farell gathers the sliotar. Picture: Eddie O’Hare
Charleville got themselves immersed in a relegation struggle in 2024 and things must be better this time.
Newtownshandrum have the pedigree to be a challenge for the best but they are not included in the list of more fancied teams.
Midleton are the number one fancy in this group, thereafter it has a fairly wide open look about it for the second spot.
Prediction: Midleton and Newtown.
To Group 3 with three city sides vying for the top two places alongside Kantuk.
The initial thinking would be that the Rockies and the Barrs will occupy the top two spots on the table but that is not a given.
Douglas are in there too and while the potential in the club has not yielded the desired dividend down the years, hope springs eternal.
To be fair they had a good league campaign with Alan Cadogan again making a significant mark in the scoring stakes.
There is a decent enough blend to the side and the other two city clubs will be wary of them and they had a fine win over the Rockies in the league.
Local derbies tend to bring the best out of teams but the bottom line for Douglas this time is that they have to be much better than they were last season.
Kanturk lost out to the Rockies in the previous campaign but they remain one of the teams on their best day quite capable of upsetting the applecart.Â
The thinking has to be that the Barrs and the Rockies are in a better place to advance to the knockout stage but maybe Douglas will finally emerge as a threat.Â
Prediction: The Barrs and the Rockies.
We are repeating ourselves here but all the opening games this weekend are of crucial importance and they will be revealing too.
An All-Ireland victory would certainly have enhanced things a lot more and there would have been a much bigger buzz about the whole thing..
There will be a lot of focus on the Cork players who were on duty in Croke Park last Sunday week and how they will react to that shattering loss.
And, as always, the search begins for fresh blood who might put themselves forward for consideration next spring.