CORK DUAL-STAR Eoin Cadogan has had enough of the debate about playing both codes.
The defender says that people are blaming dual-players for Cork’s football and hurling championship exits simply because it’s the easiest conclusion to make.
In last weekend’s hurling semi-final Tipperary knocked the Rebels out of the championship, two weeks after Mayo ended footballers’ summer at the quarter-final stage.
“I just think it’s an easy outlet to go ‘dual-players are the problem here’ automatically,” says Cadogan. ”I’m burnt out from talking about, it’s just the easiest thing to jump on now at this stage.
“We were probably beaten in too many areas of the field against Tipperary. Can you blame the dual-players for that? I don’t think you can. I think you have to take collective ownership throughout the whole panel.”
After last Sunday’s 10-point defeat to Tipperary, Cork legend Donal Óg Cusack made it clear that he felt a dual-status cannot be a success.
“I don’t think he’s adamant it can’t be done, I think he’s highlighting the point, and we had a conversation recently where he was saying that if you focus on one thing completely then you can only get better at it” he said.
“He probably does have a point — but I keep saying to him ‘then why are fellas that are playing both codes, and maybe they’re only there 50 per cent of the time, getting their game?’”
The 27-year-old admits that playing both codes no doubt holds many challenges, but it does too have its advantages.
“It is a very difficult task and it is very time-consuming, you don’t particularly have a whole pile of downtime to yourself because you are just consumed in the whole thing, week to week, training to training.
“No one thinks ‘the dual players can’t be doing it,’ we’re just banged out and that’s the case and get on with it. It can be a good thing sometimes.”
Cadogan is insistent that despite their failures this year, the required talent does exist within the county. Yet the Douglas club man believes the county must follow the template of Dublin in the preparation of their county teams.
“I think the bottom line is, if we are to look at who is setting the bar right now, you’d have to look at the likes of Dublin both on and off the field with their underage structures and I suppose their success as well.”
Yet regardless of his high praise for the capital’s teams, he’s not buying into the hype that the Dublin footballers are unbeatable.
“The only team that haven’t really been tested in terms of their composure or having to grind out a result is Dublin, because they haven’t needed to.
“I think it’s important to realise that this Dublin team didn’t just come out of the blue though. They’ve been on the go now for about four years since 2010 when we beat them in the semi-final.
“They’re in their fourth or fifth year in terms of progression. Their players are a lot more mature – they’ve a huge amount of experience.”
Nonetheless Cadogan says that “he’d love to be going out playing them again.
“I certainly wouldn’t be afraid coming out of the dressing room playing Dublin.”
