‘Managers must curb biting’

The GPA’s head of communications, Sean Potts, has called on inter-county managers to take the lead in eliminating biting from the game.

Dublin’s Jason Whelan received an eight week suspension on Wednesday night for allegedly biting a DCU player during last Sunday week’s O’Byrne Cup clash. It followed last April’s Dublin-Donegal league fixture at Ballybofey in which Paddy McBrearty claimed to have been bitten.

While refusing to comment on the Whelan incident, Potts is confident biting will be eradicated from the game.

He said the GPA would not shirk its responsibility in demanding acceptable standards of behaviour amongst players, but deemed the dressing room the most suitable environment to end the culture of biting.

“The issue of biting is something for the dressing room,” said Potts.

“We would hope that it would be eradicated and that managers would take a strong lead in the dressing room.

“By and large the discipline of inter-county players has improved immeasurably during the past 20 years and I would venture to say it is at club level where disciplinary issues still pertain.”

“The GPA has and will continue to foster acceptable standards of behaviour from our players. While the rivalry will always be intense and needs to be so, we would always advocate that sportsmanship prevails.”

Meanwhile, James McCarthy said the eight week suspension dished out to Whelan represents a blow for his Ballymun Kickhams clubmate: “It would have been a good opportunity for him to play the league games. But it’s been dealt with now and there’s nothing we can do about it now.”