In the modern age, with such an emphasis on conditioning, it’s extremely rare to see young hurlers parachuted straight into the Cork team at 19 or 20 like Darragh Fitzgibbon, Mark Coleman, Shane Kingston and co were in 2017. However there are exceptions, ala Ciarán Joyce and Eoin Downey.
None of the current U20 squad will feature in the league, though Timmy Wilk’s physicality and composure make him one to watch. There are a host of U20 graduates looking to get an opportunity of course. William Buckley, Diarmuid Healy, Darragh O’Sullivan, Jack Leahy and more ticked every box as underage standouts but the panel is extremely competitive and already loaded with rising stars.
Ben Cunningham, who turns 22 this year,…