First flush - eyes on the prize for hurling's new managers

The first-year manager holds a fabled place in the history of hurling.

As the sport moved away from the long-standing culture of management by committee to a single bainisteoir, Cyril Farrell led Galway to just their second All-Ireland title in his maiden campaign in 1980.

In 1995, Ger Loughnane banished Biddy Early's ghost in his first year in the hotseat while Michael Bond led Offaly to Liam MacCarthy in 1998 having only been in charge for the last three games of the season.

Cork's John Allen (2005) was the only rookie winner in the following decade but Tipperary 's last two triumphs have been steered by fresh faces – Michael Ryan in 2016 and Liam Sheedy in '19, though that was the start of the latter's second spell in command.

Three of this year's provincial contenders have managers taking charge for the first time – Henry Shefflin in Galway, Darragh Egan in Wexford and Tipperary's Colm Bonnar. Westmeath also have a new man in Joe Fortune. The ex-Ballyboden boss has already achieved his main objective of a Division 2A title and beating Laois to stay in Leinster will now be the priority.

Bonnar has been around the block with Carlow and Wexford but Fortune, Shefflin and Egan are making their inter-county championship bows this weekend.

John Meyler has managed multiple counties since starting out with Kerry in the 1993 season. He led the Kingdom to a famous championship win over Waterford – their first in Munster in 67 years – that season and went on to steer Carlow, Wexford, Kerry again, and Cork over the years.

The Rebels retained the Munster championship in his first year on the line in 2018 and were only beaten in an epic extra-time All-Ireland semi-final by eventual champions Limerick.

"There was no pressure on in Kerry,"