A good sign for Dublin going forward.
Dublin hurling is in the doldrums, but the return of Danny Sutcliffe to the fray might be a turning point in their fortunes.
Sutcliffe left the panel at the beginning of the 2016 season, before moving to America for the year. During his travels, he represented the New York footballers in their Connacht opener against Sligo.
The St Jude’s club man’s departure from the panel marked the dawn of two disappointing years for the Dublin hurlers under Ger Cunningham in 2016 and 2017.
He wasn’t the first to leave the panel, with player unrest apparently rife during Cunningham’s tenure, but his leaving was perhaps the most damaging for the capital city’s hurlers.
After all, Sutcliffe burst onto the scene in 2012, playing a pivotal role in the county’s groundbreaking Leinster triumph in 2013 under Anthony Daly.
A sprightly 20-year-old, he was one of the most exciting talents the county had seen in quite some time. He had it all, pace, strength, bravery, skill – he even took Tommy Walsh for a runaround in Nowlan Park.
For him to flee the set-up, when he, the great white hope of Dublin hurling, should have been entering his peak suggested all was not well in the camp, and it wasn’t long before other players dropped themselves off the panel.
Sutcliffe is 25 now, he has loads of years in the blue of Dublin ahead of him all going well, and his inclusion in their panel for the Fenway classic is a huge positive for them.
With Pat Gilroy in charge, and a backroom team of former Galway manager Anthony Cunningham, Paddy O’Donoghue and Mickey Whelan, this could mark a huge day for Dublin hurling.
Gilroy, famed for his man-management skills will be doing his best to get the best hurlers in Dublin hurling for Dublin, and this is a good start.
Cunningham managed Galway to an All-Ireland final, and his input is also a huge coup.
Many players aren’t available for selection this weekend, but the inclusion of exciting youngsters Daire Gray and Fergal Whitely also bodes well.
You can see the full squad here.
Pat Gilroy has finalised his management team & playing squad ahead of the 2017 @AIGIreland Fenway Hurling Classic this weekend 💪 #UpTheDubs https://t.co/dIX3BTLgyS
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) November 15, 2017
