Liam Rushe optimistic about Dublin hurling ahead of manager announcement
Wednesday 31 October 2018 18:32, UK
Dublin hurler Liam Rushe says "there are definitely things to build on" ahead of the managerial announcement.
Dublin are the only top-tier hurling county who remain without a manager for 2019, as the county board finalises a successor to Pat Gilory. For Liam Rushe and the playing squad, they are just as excited as anyone to see who will get the role, amid speculation that Anthony Daly and Mattie Kenny are in the running.
"I think everyone knows it has been narrowed down to a few candidates and I think there is an announcement impending this week so looking forward to hearing," said the St Pat's Palmerstown club-man, pointing out that the delay in naming the new boss isn't going to have a negative impact.
"The candidates that are there are well versed in Dublin hurling anyway so it's not like they will be coming in cold."
Gilroy's shock resignation was undoubtedly a setback, given the progress made in the first year.
"Massively disappointed," Rushe reflected. "Pat had an exceptional level of organisation so we are sad to lose it.
"There is a good panel there. Pat cast a very wide net last year there was over 100 players out for trials at different points. The people that are there now really wanted to be there and willing to work very hard all of last year and we gave it a cut.
"It was probably the first time for a lot of us to play together. The shape of the team probably wasn't together until the first championship game so there are definitely things to build on.
"I enjoyed shocking people (in 2018). I think people were absolutely writing us off after the league, and Pat wrote the league off from day one."
The two-time All-Star stated that while they aren't at the level of the top teams right now, they're not too far it either.
"I think we're still a small bit back from [Limerick and Galway]. They've proved for two years now, definitely Galway have just consistently produced it day in, day out. We're still aspiring to get to that level.
"Having said that, last year was the first year in a while we were up at 90 per cent basically every game, there was no massive flop. We were there in every one of our championship games. We have young panel hungry to develop so I think there's a small gap there still but hopefully we can close it this year."
With focus firmly on who will be the next man to manage the Dublin hurlers, Rushe said he would be open to Daly returning.
"We parted on good terms, I really enjoyed my time with Dalo. That's obviously not my decision to make, the county board have to make it. As I said, the candidates being put forward at the moment all have good pedigree so I'll be happy to work with any of them."
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