OPINION: Win over Cork on Sunday and all bets are off again - Shane Dowling

I DON'T know whether to go back or to go forward. I suppose to look back briefly for now to Thurles last weekend. It was some game!

The problem at the minute is that we have become so used to winning a lot of games by comfortable margins, that’s what we expect.

But if you think about the narrative that’s out there now at the minute, ‘Limerick are tired’, they’re ‘at the end of the road’, nearly like a boxer that’s on the ropes, ‘just waiting for somebody to come with that knockout punch’ to get rid of us.

Six weeks ago we were history makers in the making. Four, five, six-in-a-row, shur throw-in seven why not? Now, we are all but waving the white flag.

The narrative is driven by media, and social media. Thankfully, this Limerick group are good at blocking outside noise. Because if they were to believe some of the noise, they may be too tired to get out of bed on Sunday morning.

So, I’ll ask the question. Why weren’t Limerick too tired against Clare last year in the Munster final? Galway brought them to the last puck of the ball, before Kilkenny did the same. Tipperary had us on the ropes for 60 minutes in the TUS Gaelic Grounds last year. We won a game, drew a game, and lost by a point this year.

Our results have all but been similar to last year. So if we begin to believe we are tired, on the road six years, then that’s exactly what we will be.

If we realise that actually we had 47 shots for scores to Tipperary’s 36, and a small bit more composure in front of the goal we would have won. Sounds simple, I know, but a tired team doesn’t shoot that much.

The work ethic in the first half wasn’t what it should have been, but that was corrected in the second half and we played some savage hurling. You have to remember, we are no longer the underdog. People will analysis you high up and low down to find stuff that may not be there.

Ok, we aren’t playing with the same zest as last year, fine, and yes some players are off form, but trust me, a win on Sunday and all bets are off again! I said it here last week, once we get to Croker we will be fine, it’s getting there is the biggest challenge.

And that big challenge awaits upon Sunday, when the Rebels come to town. In 2013 we turned them over, the crowd was immense. In 2019 they came down after turning us over after the previous year.

They came down last year in the League and turned us over. They beat us in the league this year. I don’t believe Cork fear Limerick, that’s not the issue. I loved last year’s encounter with them down in the Páirc. With 20 minutes to go, the game was over. Done. No way back.

My concern would be if Cork were still in the game with 15 minutes to go on Sunday, they have savage pace. Tactically, over the last few years, when it mattered, 2018 All-Ireland semi-final, 2021 All-Ireland final, 2022 Munster championship, Limerick have won that battle hands down.

What Cork will come with Sunday I don’t know, but after getting battered a few times over the last number of years they will bring a hatred, surely.

Easier said than done, but I think Limerick really have to target the first 15 minutes to put that seed of doubt in the Cork minds again. The longer they stay in the game, the greater belief they will get.

In the last few years the games were over by almost half-time. This year’s League meeting was no different, but in fairness to Cork they dug deep that night. I think what’s important for us is for all that to click, we need all on form.

And we don’t have that at the minute. That’s the issue. And I wouldn’t like to be in John Kiely’s shoes at the moment, he has some massive calls to make ahead of Sunday. Does he stick or does he twist?

Either way, this group of players have brought us this far, and I have no doubt the same boys will dig deep on Sunday when it is required.

We have to remember the dark days. They weren’t that long ago. It’s what keeps the hunger there. For a long time we had nothing, or at least very little, to shout about.

As I said last week here, we are now down to one more big performance, and that narrative all changes again.