The former Meath footballer Colm O’Rourke and Tyrone footballer Sean Cavanagh were on The Sunday Game for Derry vs Donegal in the Ulster football final. The former Meath footballer didn’t hold back in his criticism of the standard of football that was on show in the Ulster football final.

The former Meath footballer took objections with Sean Cavanagh claiming that Michael Murphy is one of the best footballers over the last decade.

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So in Colm O Rourkes opinion the only great players are the ones who have performed in an All Ireland final on a consistent basis? He’s basically after saying the only great players at the moment are from Dublin. Don’t know bout that now ?? pic.twitter.com/NQpiajHYCW

— Rory Jacob (@RoryJacob) May 29, 2022

Speaking on RTE and Quoted by SportsJoe.ie

O’Rourke: But you can’t say that either and that’s sort of Jim McGuinness nonsense as well. The best players of the last decade are those who have performed at the highest possible level on a continuous basis in semi-finals and finals. Not in Clones, not in Ballybofey.

Cavanagh: Michael Murphy can’t be winning ball in midfield, he can’t be scoring 1-6 every single game because against the best teams, they nullify the best players.

O’Rourke: Yes, but then he’s not the best players.

Cavanagh: Well who is the best players?

O’Rourke: Well if you want to take them in order, James McCarthy, Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny.

Cavanagh: James McCarthy is, he’s a stopper himself.

O’Rourke: Hold on, let me make my point, they have performed consistently, over a decade at the very highest level in every single game in Croke Park.  How could anyone else be compared to that?

Cavanagh: Fenton has performed because he’s got Kilkenny in front of him, O’Callaghan in front of him, he had Brogan, Flynn, Connolly. All these guys take the heat.

O’Rourke: You have said it, he has performed, and that is the essence of greatness. You’ve performed in All-Ireland finals, Peter Canavan performed in All-Ireland finals.

Cavanagh: So has Michael Murphy, do you not remember him scoring against Mayo?

O’Rourke: I also remember him against Kerry, when he was very easily put out of that final. So you can’t compare the Dublin players with anybody else because they have been the best by far, and their record proves it.

Cavanagh: Whenever we were setting up against Dublin, you had no idea where to put out the fire. You had six forwards coming at you. Against Donegal, you can put out that fire, you just put two men on him.