Rebels put faith in young guns to restore former glories

THERE is a joke doing the rounds in Cork about having a few bob on both Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire residing on Leeside in late September.

The advice is not to bet on it - as the hurlers wouldn’t live up to their part of the bargain.

It may be trademark Cork wit but it cannot hide how desperately the footballing community want to be back in the big time. Last year’s tame exit at the hands of Fermanagh still rankles - or more specifically the huge media backlash which followed.