Opponents of Nash motion playing politics, blasts Cusack

Dónal Óg Cusack has hit out at opponents of the Anthony Nash motion, including the Cork County Board, for what he has described as “small-town politics”.

The former Cork goalkeeper, a member of the playing rules committee which put forward the proposal, said safety is the primary concern at the heart of calling for penalties and 20 metre frees to be taken from the 20m line.

A different form of the motion has to go to next year’s Congress after the original recommendation was taken off the Clár as Central Council’s belief was it would fail. The wording of it meant the rule change would affect all frees and sidelines.

Cusack has taken exception to the arguments made by those who supported Nash’s style of free and penalty-taking. “We had this situation in the All-Ireland final. It’s tough to blame the referees because hurling is one of the most free-flowing games in the world and we should always protect that, and it’s hard to get everything right.

“There wasn’t too many people who made a big deal of the man (Nash) changing the rules during the All-Ireland, but post- (All-Ireland final) it the responsibility on the Association is to deal with

“And it’s disappointing... realistically, what you have seen over the last number of months is a form of clientele politics at play from the usual suspects acting under the cover of the GAA to play out small-town politics. These people will be the first to run for cover if we see not alone a player at inter-county but a player in a juvenile or a club game getting hurt.”

Cork chairman Bob Ryan as well as manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy and selector Johnny Crowley have all defended Nash’s style.

However, Cusack insisted the rule governing 20m frees and penalties has to be changed for the sake of the defenders on the goal-line.

Speaking to RTÉ’s League Sunday Extra, he said: “I think the first thing that should be said about the Anthony Nash free is that it’s a fantastic skill. The man has mastered what is a very difficult thing to do, and it was one of the skills that lit up the 2013 Championship, which was one of the best Championships that we’ve seen in years.

“But I think you also need to look at it from the point of view that a glaring anomaly exists within the rules, in that the rules state there needs to be 20m between the striker and the goalkeeper.

“When the Association looks at this, they need to think of the defenders and the goalkeepers and it’s not necessarily Anthony Nash being the striker; it could be any striker.”

Cusack continued: “If you’re a goalkeeper in this year’s Championship and you’re defending a penalty that’s being taken like that (Nash’s style) you’re going to be told to stay on the line whereas the person who is taking the penalty can advance beyond it (20m line). Your obvious argument is going to be ‘you’re penalising me for breaking the rules yet you’re not penalising the guy who is taking the penalty.”

Cusack also revealed he has told his former team-mate Eoin Cadogan his dual commitments are fanciful.

“I have said this to close friends of mine who have gone down that route before and who are currently going down it that I think it’s a bit of a romantic notion, really.

“There is no doubt you will not perform to the best of your ability or fulfil your potential in either of the sports when you’re trying to serve two such demanding masters.”