DONAL ÓG CUSACK last night defended coaches who employ the sweeper system against charges of disrespecting the game of hurling. 

And, during his lively backing of fellow Sunday Game analyst Derek McGrath and beaten Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald, the former Cork goalkeeper linked perceived conservatism in the sport to ‘part of the last remnants of British culture on these islands’.

“Innovation is the lifeblood of any game,” Cusack said in the wake of Wexford’s narrow defeat to Tipperary in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final.

“A lot of the way that Davy and Derek have been challenged it’s as if they have been disrespecting the game in some way. I’d actually say not to innovate is actually disrespecting the game.

“It reminds me of what was happening in the mid 2000s when it came to Gaelic football. You had a lot of intelligent coaches that were playing the game in a certain way and it was very easy to make cheap shots about puke football and so on.

“Why weren’t people asking why did people want to do this? 

“I want teams to come along with different approaches, different tactics like we saw with Wexford today.”

“I actually believe that type of accusation of disrespecting the traditions of the games,” the Cloyneman continued, “that’s part of the last remnants of British culture on these islands.  

“The British, they founded a lot of games, but they struggled to accept and adapt [to] the wider influences in their games.  What I mean is the long ball, John Bull-type spirit, Jack Charlton-type spirit. I’m delighted the modern player has moved on.”