Cork signal intent after emphatic win over Waterford in Munster SHC

The Pat Ryan era is well and truly up and running after Cork cantered to a facile nine-point victory over Waterford in the Munster SHC at at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The Rebels go straight in at the top of the povincial round-robin, their scoring difference placing them at the head of a four-way tie on two points. The Déise are the only side yet to win.

This was a true team performance, with all of the front eight registering from play, while Patrick Collins and Damien Cahalane denied Waterford any goals.

The official man of the match went to full debutant Brian Roche while his midfield partner Darragh Fitzgibbon, in his first game of 2023, ran his markers ragged in front of 29,104 fans at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Cahalane, Séamus Harnedy, Conor Lehane, and Patrick Horgan showed there's plenty of life after 30, with the latter three contributing 0-16.

If it wasn't clear what Cork would show up for Championship, it became evident within minutes.

Waterford had the first point, a Stephen Bennett free, but it was their only score inside 21 minutes and even that came from Cork overcarrying rather than any attacking endeavour.

Fitzgibbon got off five shots in the opening eight minutes, converting three. But for those and other misses, Cork’s lead could have been double their 0-04 to 0-01 advantage.

Their radar was just debugging and they stretched their run of points to eight, with Lehane finding wide-open spaces for two more.

Cork were swallowing up the Waterford puck-out and they used that platform to create the only shot at goal in the first half. Tommy O’Connell won possession, Luke Meade sent Horgan into space, and he popped a pass to Roche.

Billy Nolan saved his effort but Roche recovered possession to push the lead into double-figures, 0-12 to