Weekend Talking points: Tipp down but not out and why Donal Óg was right about the Dubs

16 April 2022; Conor Whelan of Galway in action against Matthew O'Hanlon of Wexford during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 1 match between Wexford and Galway at Chadwicks Wexford Park in Wexford. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The rumour mill quickly returns to full flow.

The absence of crowds meant one particular sideshow to championship games was missing a couple of seasons ago, and was seriously curtailed last year. That’s the blossoming flower of rumour, which came to full bloom in the hour or so before throw-in at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. The persistence of covid meant half a dozen players were being mentioned as non-starters, while the more traditional ailment - the late-onset hamstring injury - was credited with claiming a few more. A more persistent rumour, about Kyle Hayes being relocated up front, was proven to be true, but in common with most rumours it was only half-right: Hayes didn’t station himself at centre-forward, but at full-forward. Speaking as a man who’s heard every rumour going, Cork boss Kieran Kingston said Hayes’ move up front was no shock to the home side: “No, there were about one hundred rumours going around during the week - ‘this fella was going to be here, that fella was going to be there, that fella was injured.’ No, I don’t think that was the winning and losing of the game.” The rumours never are. In a strange way it was good to have them back