IT’S NOT SOMEWHERE many people would enjoy being, between the sticks whilst Anthony Nash lines up a strike at goal.
The former Cork selector Ger Cunningham knows first hand how it feels, and he wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.
“Someone is going to get a belt of a ball,” said the man who has himself made 50 championship appearances in goal for Cork.
“I stood on the line last year when he was practicing and I’m telling ya you are just saying don’t hit me please.
“Other teams like TJ Reid was at it, I am sure Joe Canning will do it and other teams are seeing this works.”
Nash found the back of the net in both the drawn and replayed All-Ireland final matches last year against Clare. But what has become known as the ‘Anthony Nash effect’ has been deemed far too dangerous for many hurling fans.
“For the moment it doesn’t matter, it is going to be there for the championship. We see other teams doing it as well and other fellas trying to perfect the art of what he is doing,” say Cunningham.
“I tell you lads it is a fairly frightening place to stand 12 yards away from an Anthony Nash penalty.”
The 29-year-old goalkeeper won his second All-Star award last year but according to Cunningham, a winner of four All-Stars himself, the GAA need to take action and soon.
“When Anthony throws it up like he did against Tipp in the league semi-final he was nearly into the penalty. What’s to say the next fella won’t throw it in even further? So I think it is an issue and the GAA will have to look at it.
“The other side then is if you are involved to have it as part of your armoury, he is so good at it you’d want to keep it.”
Cunningham at yesterday's launch of the U21 Championship. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
A motion to debate the Cork goalkeeper’s shooting style at Congress was dramatically dropped earlier in the year, but Cunningham has some suggestions of his own for the GAA to ponder.
“Personally I would go back that you have to hit the ball at the 20 metre line – but I would have only one goalie on the line.
“In years gone by they have changed from five or six on the goal line to just three and I would go to have one just the goalie but start outside and strike on the 20 m line.
“It’s probably what a penalty nearly should be it should be a guaranteed score. But that would be challenge and I think if you ask goalkeepers themselves I think the consensus would be they would love that challenge.”
Ger Cunningham playing for Cork in 1986. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Other recommendations have included a reduction in the hurley bas size or the option to introduce heavier sliotars – but Cunningham is in favour of neither.
“No. It’s a bit like the golf ball fellas hit the ball 350 metres cos the ball are better and they don’t change it.
Hurling is better now because the ball is good. There is more consistency because the sliotar is good the touch is better and the ball has helped that and they won’t change it.
“It might be a possible solution you can only use an outfield hurley – they tried to implement that before (bas size clampdown) checking hurleys and measuring it is difficult to implement.
“The modern goalkeepers a lot of them are using fibre glass hurleys to puck out the ball they will definitely if looking for distance the ball travels further. You don’t see fellas using it to take penalties.”
In his half century of performances for the Rebels though was Ger ever subject to anything like a belt of a sliotar from Anthony Nash?
“No thank god. John Fenton was a brilliant penalty taker he would pick it and take the three or four steps but never got a belt thank god.”
How does it feel to face an Anthony Nash penalty? - 'You are just saying don’t hit me please'
IT’S NOT SOMEWHERE many people would enjoy being, between the sticks whilst Anthony Nash lines up a strike at goal.
The former Cork selector Ger Cunningham knows first hand how it feels, and he wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.
“Someone is going to get a belt of a ball,” said the man who has himself made 50 championship appearances in goal for Cork.
“Other teams like TJ Reid was at it, I am sure Joe Canning will do it and other teams are seeing this works.”
Nash found the back of the net in both the drawn and replayed All-Ireland final matches last year against Clare. But what has become known as the ‘Anthony Nash effect’ has been deemed far too dangerous for many hurling fans.
“For the moment it doesn’t matter, it is going to be there for the championship. We see other teams doing it as well and other fellas trying to perfect the art of what he is doing,” say Cunningham.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper won his second All-Star award last year but according to Cunningham, a winner of four All-Stars himself, the GAA need to take action and soon.
“The other side then is if you are involved to have it as part of your armoury, he is so good at it you’d want to keep it.”
A motion to debate the Cork goalkeeper’s shooting style at Congress was dramatically dropped earlier in the year, but Cunningham has some suggestions of his own for the GAA to ponder.
“Personally I would go back that you have to hit the ball at the 20 metre line – but I would have only one goalie on the line.
“In years gone by they have changed from five or six on the goal line to just three and I would go to have one just the goalie but start outside and strike on the 20 m line.
Other recommendations have included a reduction in the hurley bas size or the option to introduce heavier sliotars – but Cunningham is in favour of neither.
“No. It’s a bit like the golf ball fellas hit the ball 350 metres cos the ball are better and they don’t change it.
“It might be a possible solution you can only use an outfield hurley – they tried to implement that before (bas size clampdown) checking hurleys and measuring it is difficult to implement.
“The modern goalkeepers a lot of them are using fibre glass hurleys to puck out the ball they will definitely if looking for distance the ball travels further. You don’t see fellas using it to take penalties.”
In his half century of performances for the Rebels though was Ger ever subject to anything like a belt of a sliotar from Anthony Nash?
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Anthony Nash Championship 2014 Munster SHC Rocket Cork