Forget paying managers, it’s not feasible, says Rushe

The proposal to legitimise payments to inter-county managers has launched a plethora of apocalyptic warnings from various GAA members but few have been so coherently presented as that offered by Liam Rushe in Croke Park yesterday.

Like nearly every player interviewed since the public unveiling of Paraic Duffy’s discussion document, Rushe found himself fielding queries on whether players would seek to follow suit if the managers were being paid.

“It’s a complex issue,” he said. “You’d certainly have some players demanding payment or something, but to my mind it’s not feasible. People seem to think that Croke Park are sitting on this mountain of money. It’s not there. If you started paying players you have to pay everyone.

“If you start signing contracts then the whole loyalty in the GAA is gone. You create a contract and then the Bosman rule comes [in and] anyone can go and play for any other county.

“To my mind, paying players isn’t feasible. Certainly we’d like to be looked after more. Managers have to do a lot of work. It’s almost a full-time job.”

Still only 21, Rushe has recently returned to competitive action in the Fitzgibbon Cup after a spell on the sidelines with a broken hand. He will test himself further as one of six Dublin players on Joe Dooley’s Leinster panel for the M Donnelly Interprovincial semi-final to face Munster at Nowlan Park this Sunday.

“I couldn’t turn it down. Even coming back with a dodgy hand I might never get the phone call again. I wanted to play in it, I’ve always wanted to play in it. When I got the phone call there was no doubt in my mind. I said: ‘Yes, of course I will’.

“It hasn’t been the biggest competition or prize ever since I have been watching hurling but it is the history behind it. A lot of great players have played it. In fact, the greatest players of every generation have played it. I wanted to play it as well.”

Rushe will be part of the Dublin squad for their Allianz League campaign against Galway and burnout, another hot topic, isn’t something he gives much thought to.

“I quite enjoy playing. Some people will ask you are you happy to be [overage for] the U21s? I would rather play in Croke Park in June and play again 10 days later rather than have a match and train for three weeks.”