O’Neill tries to sideline row but now Daly joins critics

GAA president Liam O’Neill refused to be drawn into a war of words over hard-hitting criticism from Kilkenny of new sideline regulations and restrictions introduced by the association earlier this year.

On Monday, Kilkenny selector Martin Fogarty slammed the regulations in a strongly worded statement in the Irish Examiner and claimed that Mr O’Neill “appears to be sticking in the boot at every opportunity and finding problems where there are none. His recent outburst against managers is outrageous. His comparisons to rugby and other games make no sense. Hurling is a unique game. Rugby is much better viewed on TV so it suits managers to have laptops and there is no switching or moving of players. I say leave things alone, stop trying to fix things that are not broken”.

O’Neill did briefly, albeit obliquely, refer to the criticisms in his speech at yesterday’s launch of the Allianz Hurling League remarking that “while Kilkenny aren’t present [for the launch], they still leave a considerable mark, on and off the field.”