BEFORE THE LONG-TERM planning, the latest news: Pat Ryan has achieved one of his first goals as Cork hurling manager.

Up-and-coming dual star Brian Hayes, St Finbarr’s top-scorer from open play in their charge to the Cork hurling title, has been recruited from the county football panel.

“I’m delighted to have Brian Hayes on board,” says Ryan. “Obviously, it was a big decision for Brian to be involved. We had him for two years with the under-20s.

“It’s a pity he can’t play both. He played both at under-20 level but I think it’s just not set up to do that the way the championships are. Is there 16 championship matches in football if you want to win the All-Ireland? We have, whatever, seven or eight if you want to be All-Ireland champions in hurling so it’s just not set up to be a dual player.

“But we’re delighted he’s come on board with us. He was top-scorer in our club championship, scored 4-16, so I wouldn’t have been doing my job properly if I didn’t ask him to come on board with us.

“I’m delighted he’s involved but it’ll be a big step up as well for Brian. It’ll be a bit of a learning curve but I have no doubt he has the ability to step forward for Cork.”

There are other additions with Midleton’s Cormac Beausang and Cathal Cormack from Blackrock two who Ryan namechecks as being physically fit and mentally mature enough for the inter-county game.

They’re among a panel of 42 or 43 which will be whittled down to 36 this month. With no retirements, it’s up to those eight or nine newcomers to force their way into Ryan’s plans.

Another Barrs youngster who Ryan would love to plan for in the years to come is Ben O’Connor, although Munster are also vying for the Ireland underage rugby international’s attention.

“He’s a young fella, he’s doing his Leaving Cert this year. Ben is obviously a very good rugby player as well and Munster are interested in him but we’re very much interested in Ben as well.

“At the moment, Ben is concentrating on his studies and carrying a bit of an injury that he picked up against Ballyea so we’ll discuss what Ben’s future plans are after Christmas and see where he lies but obviously, we’re very cognisant as well that he’s doing his Leaving Cert this year.

“He’s obviously under-20 so hopefully he’ll be in a position to play with them as well.”

For Ryan, landing anything but an All-Ireland title from his tenure as Cork manager would be a failure. Such is the nature of the role.

“It would be a failure, yeah. Being honest, if you’re involved with Cork and you look at the managers that have gone before me, and they did brilliant things, but it’s back to John Allen since we last had a manager win an All-Ireland in Cork.

“We’ve had five or six and I think all of those managers would say that they probably failed. They did brilliant things, did brilliant work, but we’re coming from a county that has fantastic success in hurling down through the years and if we don’t win an All-Ireland it will be a failure.”

Cork’s 18-year drought since their last Liam MacCarthy title, the longest in blood-and-bandage history, rankles with Ryan. He’s not minded to ask the Cork public for patience. Like them, he demands success.

“As a Cork hurling person, it’s too long for Cork to be without an All-Ireland. Of course, it is. Without a shadow of a doubt.

“My job is to facilitate our players to get better and make sure that they can compete as well as they can to hopefully win that.

“To be honest, I’m not even looking at three years. I’ve a three-year appointment but our job is to win the All-Ireland.

“Obviously, it’s not going to be easy, the teams that are out there and obviously Limerick have won four of the last five, but next year is what we’re looking forward to.”

The minor and U20 All-Ireland titles won in recent years, quenching similar underage droughts, has eased the “monkey on our back” but Ryan knows the T&Cs. Senior success has to follow.

Equally, he doesn’t wish to wait too long for players to deliver on their potential. “It’s different now than before at 25/26. I think fellas are mature at 22/23 years of age so fellas need to start stepping up this year and showing us who’s available.”

Those underage successes help ease that transition and maintain that expectation.

“We’re getting players who are coming in now that have real in-built confidence into it.

“A lot of our players have won Fitzgibbon Cup titles as well in the last couple of years which builds more confidence into fellas so you’re used to competing against the top players outside the county and used to beating them.

“If you even look at the lads that are involved now, the senior players that we have, they’ve won a lot of matches. They’ve beaten every team, even including Limerick, in the last few years in Championship so there should be plenty of confidence there for our fellas going forward.

“We all know Limerick are ahead of the pack but I don’t think there’s a puck of a ball between the other teams.

“It’s up to all of us other counties to try and catch up with Limerick and put them under as much pressure as we can but I think there’s no reason we can’t be one of those teams that put more pressure on Limerick and hopefully we’ll go on and win an All-Ireland.”

The long run into summer begins tonight in Kerry with Cork’s Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League opener (7pm). Pat Ryan will be on the sideline, plotting the route from Austin Stack Park to Croke Park.