Rebels chained to past need own blueprint

HE didn’t mean for it to be a big bold statement, rather it was something he just said in passing as much as a matter of fact.

After his minor team’s exhibition against Waterford but before the seniors’ stirring display against Tipperary, Dublin minor boss Shay Boland commented that although his team and Dublin hurling were still learning and weren’t used to being in All-Ireland semi-finals, “we’re here to stay now and that’s it”.

The performance of Anthony Daly’s team over the course of the following couple of hours underlined the veracity of Boland’s declaration.