Cusack brings fresh thinking to an old debate

Just as he brought some fresh thinking to hurling as a player, Donal Óg Cusack has thankfully extended the same as a pundit.

Three years ago this column was demoralised watching League Sunday. After a decent colour piece from Marty brought from the Glens of Antrim, it was back to the studio for the usual clichés and solutions about what to do with Ulster hurling. “Start with the kids.” “Get them young.” “Get the coaches into them.” “It’s going to take hard work and it’s going to take time.” About the most imaginative it got was to maybe let Antrim play in the Ulster minor championship.

Michael Duignan was particularly defeatist. “I think they’re wasting their time in a lot of the football counties,” he bluntly declared. “Forget about it — it’s not going to happen.”