GPA and Cork Hurlers

[joe bloggs]

What stance will the GPA take now in the new year with the Cork Hurlers?
Will Gerald's new boys sign up to the GPA as intercounty players now that it appears that they will be representing cork?
Will there be a new GPA rep cosen from the ranks of that squad as would be the case in all other other counties?
And one final question, what will happen to the memberships of the previous squad, as oficially for the time being they are no longer part of an intercounty panel?

[Lone Shark]

And one final question, what will happen to the memberships of the previous squad, as oficially for the time being they are no longer part of an intercounty panel?

This is one of the aspects of all of this that I really can't get my head around. Irrespective of your name or reputation, until Gerald McCarthy asks you in, you are another club hurler, no different to anyone else. If players from 2008 perceive themselves to be above playing in his regime, then I cannot for the life of me understand why a new panel isn't being formed and proceeded with. This is exactly the kind of thing that feeds into the "superstar" notion that some of these guys appear to have - that as powerful an institution as Cork hurling, with it's illustrious history, can be held up by any individual or group of individuals.

Equally,if Seán Óg Ó hAilpín is no longer an intercounty hurler for Cork, what allows him to be a member of the GPA? Why can he join but another GAA club member cannot? Or is it open to all ex intercounty players? Actually, would that not make Gerald McCarthy a member? Interesting.

[bracknaghboy]

Spot on Shark. As far as I'm concerned all those Cork boys are now retired.
I've never been a fan of the GPA as I think it has helped situations like the one in Cork manifest out of control. It has given fuel to the superstar notion. Cork need to move on now and push ahead with the new panel. If I was Ger I would enter into no talks/meeting etc....he needs to finalise his panel and thats that. At the end of the day all these so called superstars like Cusack, O'hAilpin, O'Connors etc would all be retiring in the next 2 years anyway so rather than a gradual decline Cork are getting the new lads in straight away from the start............this could be the best thing ever for Cork hurling.
However McCarthy cannot back down now because if he does then I think there could be far reaching implcations for the GAA world in general.

[Doon Massive]

Am I the only person around here not to give a flying f**k about this?
Everyone bent over backwards last year for the mighty Cork to get their house in order.

[Plain of the Herbs]

There's two of us so, DM.
Between militant Cork hurlers, will Stephen Ireland work for Ireland, and now it seems soccer in Croke Park is being put back on the agenda.
ZZZZZzzzzz. Wake me up when it's over and tell me how it finished up.

Am I the only person around here not to give a flying f**k about this?

[naasmanxrhode]

There's two of us so, DM.
Between militant Cork hurlers, will Stephen Ireland work for Ireland, and now it seems soccer in Croke Park is being put back on the agenda.
ZZZZZzzzzz. Wake me up when it's over and tell me how it finished up.

Am I the only person around here not to give a flying f**k about this?

There's three of us. Who gives a shit about these pricks with the Country in the middle of a depression, especially us Rhode lads, a deep depression but as Johnny Logan once sang 'Whats's another year'.

[bracknaghboy]

I personnaly hate that bunch of Cork hurlers. But don't underestimate the importance of the issue here. McCarthy simply cannot back down now if he does it'll show that a few bigheaded players can disrupt the whole system. I'd like to see the new bunch of players get on with things and have a sucessful year. Dont you just hate O'hAilpin and that idiot Cusack........proper pair of plonkers.

[Bord na Mona man]

It means little to me either.

A bunch of whingeing prima donnas and being cheerled by their buddies in the media.
It isn't "rocking the GAA to its core", "changing the landscape forever" as the fawning media like to make out.
Thank God Kilkenny tore this bunch a new asshole last year.

Either way Cork are messed up for years.
Imagine the poor manager who realises he needs to drop Donal Og, the O'Connors and Sean Og to rebuild Cork hurling.
He'll have some mess on his hands then.

[Lone Shark]

I personnaly hate that bunch of Cork hurlers. But don't underestimate the importance of the issue here. McCarthy simply cannot back down now if he does it'll show that a few bigheaded players can disrupt the whole system. I'd like to see the new bunch of players get on with things and have a sucessful year. Dont you just hate O'hAilpin and that idiot Cusack........proper pair of plonkers.

This pretty much sums it up for me too - I personally couldn't care less about who lines out for Cork, but I do care about the GAA and the continuation of an intercounty structure where big counties and small compete alongside each other. Every step that we take towards a system where players call the shots is another step towards a system whereby they start getting paid, and once that happens, there's no hope for our games.

One of the most important tenets of our sports have to be that they are amateur, and you play at whatever level suits. If you're good enough to play intercounty and you want to, great. If you're good enough to play intercounty but you don't want to put your career/family life on hold, then no problem - play club and leave county for those who want it. If senior club asks more of you than you want to give, play junior. Throughout all that, you're no less of a member for whatever level you play at. This is just one visible symptom of a recent condition within the GAA whereby principles are being sacrificed in order to get the best possible fifteen men on the field at all times. The Aussie Rules "exodus" is just another example - emigration is part of Ireland's culture, losing four or five lads a year who want to follow their dream is not a big issue.

If Donal Óg, Seán Óg and the lads don't want to play and "have better things to be doing" as Seán Óg put it, then go do them. Stop asking Cork hurling to change to suit ye - it's there, play if ye want, don't if ye don't.

I shudder to think what will happen if we concede this principle.

[joe bloggs]

When i put this one up i wasn't too concerned about hearing peoples views on the striking players in cork. What intrigues me however is how will the GPA handle it if the situation is not resolved. When the GPA was first mooted I thought it was a good idea and it did have an immeidiate effect as Sean McKauge set up a new players committee in Croke Park under Jarlath Burns in response. Whichever committee was responsible for improving inter county player welfare i'm not too sure but it did happen. However that was a good few years ago and i now feel that the GPA has changed for the worse.

[Oskar]

Yes. I've mixed feelings on the GPA. They have done good work in that it helped give intercounty players better conditions but they are treading a fine line. It's become too much of a vehicle for Cusack, O'Hailpin et al. Should be interesting <gets popcorn>

[uibhfhaili]

I personnaly hate that bunch of Cork hurlers. But don't underestimate the importance of the issue here. McCarthy simply cannot back down now if he does it'll show that a few bigheaded players can disrupt the whole system. I'd like to see the new bunch of players get on with things and have a sucessful year. Dont you just hate O'hAilpin and that idiot Cusack........proper pair of plonkers.

I live and work in Cork and its vital for the future of the GAA that the players hold there ground. The Cork County Board is rotten to the core and in complete control by one person. This person is obviously out to destroy its own side who twice shown the board up for what it really is.Obviously those outside Cork will struggle to understand this as its a completely atypical situation in every other county. it so wrong whats happening down here it beggars belief.The support for the behavior of the CCB outside of Cork is mostly based on ignorance of the situation and the lust to somehow tie this despute to the GPA likewise.

[TheManFromFerbane]

I live and work in Cork and its vital for the future of the GAA that the players hold there ground. The Cork County Board is rotten to the core and in complete control by one person. This person is obviously out to destroy its own side who twice shown the board up for what it really is.Obviously those outside Cork will struggle to understand this as its a completely atypical situation in every other county. it so wrong whats happening down here it beggars belief.The support for the behavior of the CCB outside of Cork is mostly based on ignorance of the situation and the lust to somehow tie this despute to the GPA likewise.

I think it's really interesting that you (as a non-Corkonian) would say this? In your words what is the issue down there?

From what I can see and hear, there is a bunch of players down there that have developed an elitist attitude (in the worse sense of the word) and are unhappy when things don't go exactly their way. They claim not to like the process the way the manager was hired but if they got Brian Cody or someone I doubt they'd care about the process. They claim to hate Frank Murphy and his cronies, yet the second they want to try and weasel out of a suspension he's who they go to. They go on about this "burden" of playing for Cork as if to say they are the only ones who can do it when it's quite obvious that there is at least 34 other fella's down there dying to take up this "burden".

This elitism is definitely tied to the GPA. That is the cornerstone of their organisation. "We are elite athletes so we deserve money to train and get to our elite status"

From the stories going around it’s fair to say that the Cork county board have their problems I don't think I've ever talked to someone about their county board and heard positive things!! If they don't like them vote them out. If they can't vote them out then they are in the minority. If you are in the minority you have your rights but dictating what the rest of the county do is not one of them!

But I am nothing if not open to different opinions. So let’s hear in your words what’s going on down there?

[Lone Shark]

Not unlike MFF, I'm somewhat amused as to how Frank Murphy is untouchable in the democratic sense, but yet is everything that's wrong with Cork GAA at the same time. If Pat Teehan spent last year alienating clubs, antagonising players and generally abusing his position as Cork people would tell you that Murphy is down there, then there would be a heave against him and someone else would have the reins now. Why is this not the case down there?

Let's not forget, if Murphy is returned into his position through the correct channels, the membership of Cork GAA clubs who took the time out to attend their AGMs and attend county board meetings etc have no right to be wrong.

[baz]

if you read justin mc carthys book from acouple of years ago ,it will tel you a lot of whats wrong too .in it he tells of murphy been on around 8 different commetties ,manouvering himself in to position to get mc carthy .i remember in the nineties asking cork people what was wrong with cork gaa (up to 1998 they coudnt win anything ) and everyone gave one name .these included people who trained minors & under 21 from the late 80`s .as conlon (sunday independant) wrote months ago ,in any other walk of life as a full time official he would be sacked .this is the third time and each time he has gone on holidays at the start of these deputes .as an amature and so called democratic organizeation how does he have such power over everything in cork .it seems taboo to mention ill of his name down there .this dispute isnt about pay for play ,it s more about those players taking no more under handness off their county board .as a man from tipp said to me ,who was at the tipp & cork match ,he said they should of run gearad mccarthy afterthat match .he feared a hideing but mc carthy made switches that won it for tipp .as a one of our own county players said the cork players have taken the view they are the ones breaking their arses doing professional standard training and behind the scenes they get sneeky under handed strokes for ould lads hideing in the wings .