Waterford were hit with five Cork goals in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with Kieran Kingston's Rebels laying down a marker for their league campaign.
Cork have often been criticised for not having a ruthless streak, leaving games behind them when they could have claimed a win. Those criticisms can be laid to rest, if only based on this lone league encounter.
The home side had wintered better and emerged the sharper team with more energy and creativity throughout - the combination of Mark Coleman and Seán O' Donoghue creating problems for the visitors.
Cork's use of the ball was better than Waterford, but little can be taken from that with the fact that teams have not had competitive games in so long - one team was always going to be that little bit sharper.
Reassuring performances from Austin Gleeson and Stephen Bennett will abate concerns from the backroom team. Bennet provided 1-12 with four from play, while Gleeson claimed five from play, setting up both Bennett and Callum Lyons as well. His pass to Lyons, while not converted, was enough to remind us all what he can do when at his pomp. Cahill was more than happy to see the Mt Sion man offering his best to get their campaign underway.
"He's really trained and well and working hard and you know he's a really good player - everybody knows that and I think he's showing the traits of a good player now, just working hard and doing the ugly stuff as well. Maybe people would have been critical of Austin Gleeson in the past that he's not as hard-working as he shouldn't be."
"He put himself about well today and he still has plenty in him, lots more to come hopefully from every aspect of Austin's play both fitness-wise and hurling."
The undoubted issue that Cahill will be wanting to remedy is the team switching off as the 70 minutes progressed. Corks late flurry of goals put an unfair slant on the scoreline and while Bennett struck the back of the net to put some respectability on the goals tally, it was too little too late.
"It very much had a challenge match feel to it towards the end and that's always disappointing because it is a national league game and you know, it should be it should be all guns blazing throughout the match."
"It definitely fizzled out as it went along. Our lapse of concentration towards the end hurt us big and just when we looked to be trying to get something out of the match - having it back to four points - we just handed the initiative back to Cork again and unfortunately, this team has a tendency to do that."
"It's something that we're still working on very hard to try and counteract and try and eradicate, so lots of work to do"
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