Jonny Cooper: Referees need helping hand with black card

Jonny Cooper has no issue with the black card rule but questioned how it is being applied by referees.

The Dublin defender was dismissed in the 20th minute of last Saturday’s All-Ireland final replay when Maurice Deegan adjudged he had tripped Donie Vaughan.

Cooper said: “Fundamentally, I probably agree with the actual rule itself but maybe it’s just the implementation of the way in which it’s enforced.

“Officials have the tough job of doing that, it’s probably not as clear as it could be all the time, especially in real-time. So maybe we should look at giving the officials more of a helping hand as opposed to changing the rule or getting rid of it.”

Asked to rank this All- Ireland title alongside his previous couple in 2013 and last year, Cooper said the pressure put on the backs in the absence of Rory O’Carroll and Jack McCaffrey made last weekend all the sweeter.

“I think this year was probably the most satisfying in that there were a lot of questions asked of us.

“Especially from a defensive point of view, we should have been this and should have been that and should have had this player and should have had that player and everything else, and people were putting us on the back foot since day one. It’s very satisfying from my point of view to come out the right end of it nine months later.”

The 26-year-old, nominated for an All Star yesterday, revealed just how much attention to detail Dublin had made to their preparations.

“You are being pushed every single day for nine months, every single day. What you are doing, what you are eating, how you are sleeping and what you are doing to give into the group? It’s extremely challenging but it’s extremely satisfying as well.”