‘I don’t think Cooney did a lot to help hurling’

Liam Dunne has criticised former GAA president Christy Cooney for not doing enough for hurling.

The Wexford manager is excited about facing Cork in Saturday’s qualifier, the kind of top level team Dunne believes the county has to face more often if they are to improve.

Under Cooney’s three years in office, Dunne felt there was little help and assistance given to counties such as Wexford and Offaly.

Even though it was the O’Neill-led Hurling Development Committee who restructured this year’s league which saw Wexford drop from last season’s top flight to Division 1B without being relegated, Dunne’s ire is directed at the Cork man and not the Laois native.

“I definitely think the GAA have got this one right with the triple-header in Thurles. For the GAA supporters, it’s going to be a great day.

“You go back to our former president there who was more worried about managers getting paid than he has been at the state of hurling in places like Wexford, Offaly and Laois.

“I’m just hoping the likes of Liam O’Neill can try and rectify that. We only have 10 or 11 hurling counties and we need them to be competitive to keep the interest going. Hurling has been dying on its feet and I don’t think Christy Cooney did a lot to help it in his time. I’m just hoping Liam O’Neill will look at it a bit differently.

“Wexford and Offaly need to be playing the top teams in Division 1A. Offaly weren’t good enough to get there last year but Wexford were and they put them down to Division 1B and we nearly ended up in Division 2B.

“Dublin were the form team last year and it didn’t happen for them this year and they’re in Division 1B next year.

“I just think they should even it out among the 10 hurling counties and give them a chance to hurl against the top teams more often than we have got over the last number of years.”

Dunne insisted he would have fielded a development team in Division 2A had Wexford been relegated from Division 1B this year because “they [the GAA] change the rules as they go along”.

He wants to see his side experience more games against the likes of Saturday’s opponents Cork, who he believes won’t be overly concerned by Wexford.

“I don’t think Cork are going to have any great fear coming into Thurles to play Wexford. If you’re a betting man you’d put money on them to get into a quarter-final.

“They’ve also got John Gardiner and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín on the backburner.

“They’ve a young team and were the form team in the league before they got to the final. But when you’ve players like that on the bench, I’ve the height of envy for them. Look it, I can only go with what I have and try and get our own team in order.

“It’s a huge task but Cork are the type of team we want to be playing.”

Saturday also sees Dunne’s hurlers share the bill with Jason Ryan’s footballers and the Oulart-the-Ballagh man is still intent on recruiting the dual players in the football panel.

“There’s Ciaran Lyng, there’s Brian Malone, there’s Daithí Waters, there’s Lee Chin. Stephen Nolan, who plays with Ballyboden, is one I’m hoping to have on board next year as well.

“If we can get those players they can only strengthen us up.’’

Despite handsome wins over Westmeath and Carlow, Dunne is not certain if he has the full backing of Wexford supporters after a mediocre league and the Leinster defeat to Offaly.

“I think we would have to have a ballot, a secret one! I don’t think people here are sure if we’re going in the right direction.

“I can only go the way I think we should be doing it and, to be fair, we have to change an awful lot of things.

“The players’ attitude has to change, the culture has to change, players’ bodies have to change and the bottom line is we have to be better and smarter hurlers to compete with the Kilkennys, Tipperarys and Dublins of this world.

“It didn’t happen for Dublin this year but that doesn’t make Dublin a bad team. A lot of work has gone on there and one year doesn’t undo all that.

“To be fair, I’ve got a huge commitment from the players and I just feel we’re in the right place at the right time at the moment.”