Time for fans to give Mullane his due

WHAT must John Mullane do to win the love of hurling followers? He has the respect, there’s no question about that, and John is unquestionably one of the finest corner-forwards of his generation.

Still only 28, since bursting onto the senior inter-county scene as a coltish 20-year-old in 2001, the De La Salle star has been held scoreless in just three of his 37 championship matches, and in that period has come in with some fairly hefty totals, his 3-1 in a losing cause in the Munster final against Cork in 2003 probably the highlight.

Respect, then, universal across the hurling world, but what of the love?