JOE BROLLY: Rebel yell? More Rebel yell

CORK are a permanent anti-climax. Incapable of a definitive contribution, they are indifferent to defeat. Because they are deeply unserious, they play in the full knowledge that they are going to lose. They are not a football team, merely a gather up of boys who want to train and tog out for the county. They should quit football altogether. It would be more honest than what they are doing.

Like everyone else, the commentary team on GAA+ know this. For the pre-match analysis, Paddy Andrews, Padraig O’Hora and Michael Meehan lounged back on the stadium seats, looking and sounding like a bored boy band in the middle of a promotional blitz. The book of GAA clichés spared them from having to actually think of anything to say.

The presenter asked, “What do Cork need to do here today?” to which the only honest answer was “Not come out.” Instead, it was, “They need to throw the gauntlet down to Kerry.” “Cork need to bring real intensity.” “Their big players need to show up.” None of which were going to happen.

With the gale force wind in the first half, Cork started the game charging about at 100 miles an hour. Mike Finnerty said: “Cork really look up for this.”

Kerry won the throw-in, passed the ball about for a full two minutes, then worked a neat score through Paul Geaney. In the sixth minute, Micheál A Martin delivered a short kick-out straight to the inrushing David Clifford who took his time, paused and passed the ball to the Cork net. This was the definitive contribution of the first half. After that we had to endure an illusion of a contest.

From the 14th to the 16th minute of the game, we saw what Cork really are. First, Sean Cronin was sent through one v one on the Kerry goalkeeper and kicked the ball straight at him. “Wonderful save” said Finnerty, which is the automatic response of every commentator when an attacker kicks the ball straight at the ’keeper.

A minute later, Mattie Taylor was clean through one v one and again, kicked it straight at the Kerry ’keeper. Another “wonderful save” which my mother would have made, since all she would have had to do was stand there. Neither man dummied, paused and either passed to the net or passed the ball to the unmarked Cork man at the far post. In both cases, it was childlike panic.

These two sitters would have put Cork 2-6 to 1-4 ahead and created a foundation to win the game. Instead, it was a reminder to Kerry that they were not to be taken seriously, in the unlikely event any of them needed reminding.

The embarrassment was complete in the 28th minute, when Mattie Taylor soloed headlong through on goal – with a colleague free on the far post – and mis-soloed mid charge. “Cork have only managed one goal in the entire championship” said Finnerty. It must have been accidental. The game is nothing more than good habits. Cork have none.

By half time Cork were three up and the game was long since over.

“There will be some home truths in the Kerry changing room,” said Paddy Andrews. “Cork can push on here,” said Padraig O’Hora, God bless him.

Cork’s push on left Kerry ahead by the 40th minute. After that it was an exhibition of two point scoring from Clifford and O’Shea, Cork playing with zero composure. Unskilled, panicky, no cohesion, just soloing and hand-passing and being turned over and generally playing as though taking the bad look off the scoreline was enough.

After the final whistle, Padraig O’Hora was asked about Mayo and for once, the sugar wasn’t poured.

Q. Padraig, what style of play will we expect from Mayo now that Stephen Rochford is in charge?

A. No different. He set the team up. The style is all wrong for the creative, expressive players we have. What I would like to see to be honest is a players’ coup. That’s what is needed.

The players need to change the style of play themselves and take control. Rochford’s style is far too structured and unsuited to us. There is no room for expression. Our players need to forget about that and go out and blow the doors off.

An honest answer? The boy is going to turn out to be quite the pundit if he keeps this up. As it turned out, Mayo did exactly that against a mediocre Tyrone team whose manager was an expert in the blanket defensive counter attacking game but who appears to be struggling with real Gaelic football. Thankfully.