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Anthony Nash in last year's All-Ireland final. James Crombie/INPHO

How does it feel to face an Anthony Nash penalty? - 'You are just saying don’t hit me please'

Former Cork selector Ger Cunningham knows all about how powerful Anthony Nash’s shots are.

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.”

Kevin Bolger / YouTube

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.”

Launch of 2014 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling Under 21 Championship 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 1/9/1986 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.”

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9 Comments
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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 28th 2014, 8:09 PM

    It needs to be banned immediately. Nash has opened up a can of worms here the GAA don’t seem prepared to deal with. TJ has already joined the party and the rumour is that Tony Kelly has been getting the ball almost into the 6 yard box at trainings down in Clare.

    It’s extremely dangerous and anybody arguing otherwise almost certainly hasn’t played in goal or across the full back line. It had better not take sterilised full back or a collapsed throat to get this fixed.

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    Mute Tadgh Fanning
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    May 28th 2014, 10:33 PM

    Are u from Clare or something ?? Helmets are already there !! Does this mean u can’t shoot inside the box ?? Other players have been doing it for years and its just because Nash can hit them perfectly people are complaining.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 29th 2014, 12:19 AM

    I’m from Dublin, word has it Clare are going to be doing this even worse this year, and Kilkenny and Cork. I’m Sure the Dubs and Tipp and Galway are all lining up someone for it as well. I explained in another post how it’s distinctly different to open field play as the backs and goalkeepers movement and positioning is restricted.

    Why don’t we just let them hoist the ball into the box and smack it 2 inches from peoples faces. There has to be a limit, the helmet wont stop broken rib and ruptured testicles. Players need to be given reasonable capacity to protect themselves. That can either take the form of a restricted carry distance or allowing them to rush the striker

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 28th 2014, 8:02 PM

    It’s one of the most unique and exciting aspects of hurling.. if there are safety issues re players necks, there is nothing stopping neck guards being kept behind the goal, like face-masks are kept for short corners in field hockey.. clip them onto helmets like with ice hockey helmets.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 28th 2014, 8:12 PM

    So neck guards and cups for crotch protection. Should they just strap on full body armour to stand in goal? We got by fine for decades but one breach of the honour code has opened up the floodgates on this.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 28th 2014, 8:36 PM

    Honour code?.. it’s been done for decades.. DJ Carey was particularly adept at it.. plus penalty takers know there’s a risk of over carrying.. like Nash’s botched drop-shot effort in the final last year.. next up will be a ban on any form of point blank shooting.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 28th 2014, 8:42 PM

    It was never to this extent. The issue is that it forces the goal keeper and defenders into the most dangerous possible position on the hurling field, middle distance. In open play point blank shooting is grand because goal keepers and defenders have the opportunity to get into one of several safe positions, behind the man to hook, in close to block, out of the way altogether or far enough away that you can read the flight of the ball and block or dodge. It’s also not possible to get the same kind of power on a shot from open play as from a penalty.

    But with these shots you’re too close to dodge or reasonably attempt to protect yourself but you’re not allowed move up to block. The rules force you to be in a position no player would get themselves in in open play because it’s dangerous. If they’re not going to stop the carry then they need to let the keeper and backs rush the striker

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    Mute Kieran
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    May 28th 2014, 9:08 PM

    What nonsense, I’m surprised at Ger. Bearing in mind you can strike the ball even harder from the hand, does this mean you won’t be allow to shoot inside the box during open play either?

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    Mute PAF
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    May 29th 2014, 2:21 AM

    Declan Ryan tipperary and clonoulty-rossmore and former tipp manager was the man who invented the style, it’s a great skill and a penalty is a penalty, Ciaran there would want to cop himself on there and keep his bullshit to himself. That is all

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