Kerry boss criticises hurling decision

THANKS but no thanks, that was the reaction yesterday from Kerry manager Gerry Molyneaux to the recent motion adopted by Congress, allowing weaker hurling counties the option of reinforcing their squad with up to five outside players, under certain conditions.

“I wouldn’t agree with that at all. It’s not going to help hurling,” he said at yesterday’s manager’s media briefing in Dublin ahead of this weekend’s NHL Division 2 final, in which Kerry face Dublin.

“If you have a panel of 30 players, and you get four guys to come down from Cork, what do you say to your own guys: ‘Good luck, we’re bringing in immigrants now and we’re letting ye go?’ Supposing they’re playing club hurling in Cork the same day we’re going out in the Christy Ring, where is their commitment?

"They’ll play in Cork and we’ll be going back to those four guys we dropped looking for them to come back on the panel again.”

Dublin manager Tommy Naughton hadn’t yet formed an opinion on the matter: “I haven’t given it that much thought, I’m concentrating more on this match on Sunday, what’s going on at present, and leaving that for the future.”

Molyneaux’s response got support from Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, whose own team faces Limerick in the Division 1 final.

“In theory, if it were helpful to some counties, I’d have no problem with it, but listening to Gerry, he sounds very definite, very passionate. Ultimately, the GAA is all about where you come from, where you belong, your club, your county, the GAA is fundamentally based on that, completely and utterly.”

But what of those who have made the transfer, and played well for their new clubs, their new counties?

Beside Brian Cody sat Limerick manager Joe McKenna, an Offaly native who starred for Limerick. He was a key member of the last Limerick team to win an All-Ireland title, in 1973.

What of the likes of Larry Tompkins and Shay Fahy, two Kildare natives who led Cork to All-Ireland football titles in 1989 and ‘90? Of Christy Ring, who went from Cloyne to Glen Rovers, became synonymous with them eventually?

“Yeah,” he agreed, “but it’s a very, very small percentage compared to everyone else. Of course, there are exceptions, and I’m not very definite in my view, but I am very definite on the fundamentals of the GAA, which is club loyalty, county loyalty. That’s something you can’t get away from.”

Joe McKenna, however, begged to differ. “I think in successful counties like Kilkenny it’s not an issue, but in counties like Limerick, that haven’t been involved for years and years, down the road this may come to fruition.

“If you’re training night in, night out, as Limerick are at the moment, and you’re at it nearly 12 months of the year, you like to have success.

"If you can get a few players to help the situation, I think you’d take them. Ultimately, it’s about success, the demand on players is very high now, you probably need success to keep going. It will happen.”

Molyneaux, however, remained unmoved.

“It might bring us on, but what do you say then to the fellas you’re dropping from the panel? Good luck, we don’t need you?

"And at the next Congress, this motion could be dropped again, gone, what are you going to do then? Crawl around the county on your hands and knees begging the fellas you dropped to come back again? And that’s the crux of it, what do you say to the fellas who have to make way for these fellas coming in.”

Back to the old way then, reckons Tommy Naughton. “It’s all about quality, getting players up to a certain standard. There are plenty of hurlers in Dublin, a lot of work being put into hurling by the clubs and various development squads. It’s a matter of continuing that.”