Cool Cats unfazed by critics, says Hogan

ALL may be quiet on the hurling front right now but a handful of the summer’s main protagonists broke the phoney war’s silence yesterday to survey the lay of the land in the months to come.

Normally, championship launches are reserved for headquarters but Ballyboden St Enda’s impressive grounds on Dublin’s southside provided the backdrop for the curtain-raiser on this occasion.

If the venue was different, then the topics of conversation were familiar. The structure of the hurling championship was dusted off for its annual airing and so too was another perennial favourite: who can beat Kilkenny?