Cork qualified for the 2002 National League final on 5 May, with Cusack lining out in goal. In the week leading up to the game there had been speculation that Gaelic Players Association members from both teams would stage a protest during the parade before the match with their socks down and jerseys out - offences punishable by fine under the GAA's match regulations. The Cork players went ahead with their pre-match protest before losing the final by 2–15 to 2-14. Later that year, Cusack gave an interview on 96FM in which he stated that young players were warned off joining the GPA. He alleged: "Younger players got calls informing them that joining the GPA would jeopardise their chances of playing with the senior team. Publicly, the county board stated they had no problem with us joining the GPA but that was not the case, and behind the scenes other forces were at work." On 29 November, Cusack and six of his teammates from the Cork hurling panel held a press conference at the Imperial Hotel to announce that all 30 members of the panel were withdrawing their services from the county in the hope of better treatment from the county board. He remained a high-profile representative at the negotiations over the following two weeks before was reached on 13 December.
