Offaly hurlers statement from Aertel

[Lone Shark]

"The five Offaly hurlers supposedly
dropped from the county senior panel
have issued a statement claiming they
withdrew their services.

Accroding to the quintet, a statement
released by Offaly manager John
McIntyre to the media on Wednesday
saying that the five had been axed from
panel because they failed to turn up
for training on Tuesday night was
untrue.

Colm Cassidy, Paudie Mulhare, Conor
Gath, Andrew McRedmond, and Liam Bergin
say they had withdrawn their services
prior to that night's training session
due to personal differences with the
management.

The statement said: We're disappointed
that the perception now exists that we
we were dropped from the panel because
we lacked commitment.

'Nothing could be further from the
truth. We left the panel under our own
volition because of personal
differences with the management.

'Despite our total commitment to the
Offaly cause, we felt that we weren't
been given a fair crack of the whip.'

It continued: 'Leaving the Offaly panel
wasn't a decision that any of us took
lightly, but under the circumstances we
felt that we had no other option.' "

___________________________________________________________


Anyone else think this is a face saving exercise? How Colm Cassidy can maintain he "wasn't given a fair crack of the whip" when he has missed the first 30 mins against Waterford when he was available and feck all else all year is ridiculous. I'd have time for Gath and Mulhare as hurlers, but if McRedmond and Bergin honestly thought they were in contention to start then they are among the most optimistic men I know of.

The truth is they weren't at training, and then it emerged that they were cut. There has been speculation as to where the lads actually were, but what is known is that if they were walking off the panel they hadn't informed management.

2005 has been a nightmare, but I'm glad they're gone if that is their attitude. At the end of the year provided we avoid relegation we'll still have been in a better position than we were six months ago, and that would be undone if we allowed this kind of leeway within the camp.

We're very fast turning into Roscommon, and that can only end in tears, so fair play to McIntyre for laying down the law if that was what was done.

[the bare biffo]

I dont know any of the details but my impressions would pretty much coincide with yours LS. It seems like some lads are living on the reputation of their predecessors without having done anything to earn it.