The issue has been a hot topic within the GAA since last year’s All-Ireland championship when Anthony Nash found the back of the net on a number of occasions with 20m frees that were carried closer to goal thanks to the goalkeeper’s shooting technique.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Sports Sunday Extra, Cusack said that while Nash’s technique is a tough skill to master, player welfare must be the GAA’s primary concern.

“There is a glaring anomaly within the rules. The rules state that there needs to be 20 metres between the striker and the goalkeeper.

“When the Association looks at this they need to think of the defenders and the goalkeeper. It is not necessarily (about) Anthony Nash being the striker, it could be any striker,” he said.

The three-time All-Ireland winning goalkeeper also suggested that vested interests had been engaged in “small-town politics” over the issue but urged the Association to ignore these.

Cusack was part of the committee that drafted a rule change on the issue which was due to be voted on at Congress before being withdrawn at the eleventh hour.

“Realistically, what you have seen over the last number of months is a form of clientele politics at play where the usual suspects [have been] acting under the cover of the GAA to play out small-town politics,” the Cloyne man told Michael Lyster, adding that those same people would be “the first to run for cover” if a player gets hurt.

Cusack had previously discussed the issue during last year’s All-Ireland campaign with Ger Loughnane on the Sunday Game.

Those who oppose the proposed rule change often cite footage of players from previous eras like Christy Ring who had a similar free-taking technique; arguing that it is part of the game.

Take a look and decide for yourself if there’s any difference between Nash’s technique and the others.