'We'll need to be better' - Conor Burke under no illusions as in-form Cork loom large

RTÉ News​

02-07-2025

Dublin put in a performance for the ages when they knocked Limerick out of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship, however they will have to be even better to reach this year's final.
That's the verdict of star midfielder Conor Burke, who is expecting a greater challenge in the semi-finals as the Dubs face Cork at Croke Park on Saturday.
Burke proved instrumental as the 14-man Dublin side – who lost captain Chris Crummey early in the game due to a red card – upset the odds to beat John Kiely's outfit and progress to the penultimate round of the championship for the first time since 2013, and despite all the talk of a new era in the capital, the focus remains solely on the next game.
"I think you don't look too far ahead, I suppose, is the honest answer," said Burke, when asked was this the beginning of a new journey for the county hurlers.
"You just tackle each game as it comes, and I think as you knock off those kind of building blocks, then you can kind of look back and say that was probably the point where it was just the start of the journey.
"But the honest answer is that you're just really focused on the next task at hand, and I think if you look beyond the next task at hand, you'll probably be left with egg on your face."
That next task, of course, is a duel with the Munster champions, and a side that were tipped for All-Ireland success following their emphatic league campaign.
Pat Ryan's side backed it up in the Munster round robin, albeit with the odd wobble en route to provincial success.
But Burke is under no illusion that the Rebels are the in-form team and that it will take a monumental effort to knock them off their stride on Saturday.
"Cork are obviously the in-form team," said Burke. "They're the league champions, Munster champions, so it's going to be a huge challenge.
"I think what you'll see with really successful teams like that is that there's not just one way they can hurt you. If you focus too hard on one particular way, they'll find a way around that.
"They're a really well-rounded team, and we're under no illusions that it's going to be a huge step up and task at hand, and we'll need to be better than we were on Saturday if we want to win."
Burke appeared quietly confident that Dublin can, once again, rise to the occasion and put in a competitive performance in what should be a close-to sold out Croke Park, with over 70,000 expected at Headquarters.
And the St Vincent's man emphasised the team spirit within Niall Ó Ceallacháin's squad, which has been evident on the pitch where Dublin's unity has been one of their strongest traits throughout.
"These inter-county games, particularly at the knockout stages, are relentless in terms of the pace of the game and the amount of balls you have to deal with," said Burke. "You consistently have a role, whether it's affecting the play on the ball or whether it's offering support to a teammate. I think that was something that shone through across the entire team. Everybody has that mindset and collectively it is powerful.
"To be involved in elite setup, you want to push yourself as far as you can go and you're constantly looking for that extra per cent. But I think it's a common mindset amongst the team and everybody has that mindset.
"So everybody is open to do the extra gym session or recovery session. So with that comes lots of socialising with lads who are making the same sacrifices and put the same time in.
"So there's a sense of togetherness there and obviously you get the kind of craic that goes with it too."
One man who is instrumental in creating and maintaining that team bond is captain Crummey, who will miss the game on Saturday following his red card against Limerick.
However, Burke believes that Crummey still has a big role to play throughout the build-up to the game and on matchday itself.
"Chris is a brilliant character, a brilliant leader. He's obviously our captain. He's a huge presence and a brilliant leadership, and he brings that not just on matchdays, but every single day he's there," said Burke.
"Beyond that, he's also just a brilliant fellow, a great lad to be around, so I think he brings a brilliant energy to the dressing room and to the game, along with obviously all of his hurling talents and leadership traits that everybody is obviously really familiar with."
And as for the game on Saturday, Burke is hoping to show that this Dublin side can continue to mix it at the highest level and give the bumper home support something to shout about.
"I think there's good excitement in the camp. It's been a long time since Dublin have been in the semi-finals, so you have to relish the occasion and appreciate that you're there," he said.
"I would say there's great confidence amongst all the players, and we're obviously really looking forward to the game and hopefully putting our best foot forward.
"I think that's coupled with belief as well. It's not blind. There's a lot of confidence in the group and everybody knows that there's lots of talent there and if we can perform and get that out of ourselves, any team can beat any team.
"I think there's good excitement in Dublin hurling at the minute. Hopefully, we're not done at this stage, and we can progress."
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Cork v Dublin on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Kilkenny v Tipperary on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.