Two years after stepping down as Cork hurling manager, Kieran Kingston returned to the role late last year, replacing John Meyler.
The players were glad to see the return of a familiar face.
"The county board would have their main focus but obviously they would get the opinions of the players, but Cork’s a small place," said Alan Cadogan at eir Sport's launch of their Allianz Leagues coverage.
"Kieran was probably the number one favourite with the bookies. We didn’t go to the county board and say we want Kieran Kingston. We expressed that we feel he would be the right fit then it is up to them.
"There’s intelligent people making those decisions. It’s such a demanding job being an inter-county manager. In Cork, we don’t pay managers.
"Kieran stepped away in 2017 because of work commitments, so it was a big ask for him to come back. He considered it, thankfully, and decided to come back."
eir sport has announced the details of its 2020 Allianz Leagues coverage. On hand for the launch was Cork's Alan Cadogan. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Cadogan is currently nursing a hip flexor injury which he picked up playing football with Douglas. He may miss one or two games early in the league.
"I'm 27 this year, I'm in my peak years," he said.
It only seems like the other day when I was making my debut. That's my advice to the younger - that it'll just go like that (clicks fingers).
You're not guaranteed to come back into Croke Park. When I left Croke Park after the Kilkenny game last year, I just had a look around the dressing room.
Even as a 26-year-old, you just don't know when you'll be back again. Whether that's due to injury. Munster is so competitive, it's a battlefield and you might not even qualify.
Cadogan, his teammates and the Cork management team all know they need to bring their game to a new level if they are to win the county's first hurling All-Ireland in 15 years.
"I’ve lost count now of how long he’s been involved with Cork seniors," Cadogan said of Kingston.
"As a selector with Jimmy Barry Murphy, a coach with Jimmy then a manager. Now he’s come back for his second stint as manager.
"You know, he’s very good with players, he’s a people person. He’s a players' favourite but at the same time very cut-throat.
"I think he described it as an itch that needed to be scratched and that there was unfinished business from 2017 when he stepped away. Knowing Kieran, he’s not coming back just for the fun of it, he’s coming back to win an All-Ireland. Simple as that.
"We've a long way to go and as I say, we might be a small bit behind the Tipps, the Kilkennys, the Limericks - they're the benchmark.
"He adds people to the backroom team [who] add value. And he's done that. But he knows if he does the same thing that he did in 2017, we won't go any further. He knows he needs to bring it to another level and we demand that from him and his management team.
"But then on the flip side, he demands that from us. We obviously weren't good enough in 2019, we weren't good enough in '18 and we weren't good enough in `17, so again, we need to bring it to a new level for 2020 and do something different."
Over seven weekends eir sport will broadcast 15 football and hurling games and become the home of Saturday night live GAA. The coverage kicks off on Saturday 25th January, with a massive triple header across its channels, including the All-Ireland football and hurling champions.
Top photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
