This year, everything came together for Hayes: the finishing, the ball-winning, the finesse, the confidence, the power
Limerick's Dan Morrissey and Brian Hayes of Cork in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Before his first league match as Cork manager, against Limerick 17 months ago, Ryan made an interesting observation. “In our psyche we value skill and speed and nice hurlers and all that kind of craic,” he said, “but we just need to bring a mix to that. The fella that might give you that bit more physicality, that bit more aggression, but who might leave the ball through his legs a bit.
Ryan didn’t mention any names, but Hayes was precisely that kind of player. In club games he was prone to missing his first touch, or the ball was liable to pop out of his hand. But he had something. When St Finbarr’s won the Cork title in 2022, for the first time in 31 years, he was the top scorer from play in the championship with 4-16; he was also the top goalscorer in the championship.
The days when forward lines were unionised and you were either a finisher or a forager are long gone; Cork were the last county to recognise that. Ryan tore down the lines of demarcation. Minutes later he was through on goal again, only for his lunging flick to clear Nickie Quaid and the crossbar.
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