Donal Óg Cusack has condemned Tipperary GAA's statement announcing that Colm Bonnar would not be continuing as the county's senior hurling manager.
On Thursday morning, following a meeting of the Tipperary management committee, it was confirmed that they had "made the decision to relieve Colm Bonnar from his duties".
"A brutal statement, it has to be said," Cusack said on The Sunday Game before the All-Ireland hurling final.
"If you were trying to word something as bad as possible, 'relieved of your duties'... You'd say something if he was a professional.
"I'd say, similar to Cork, they are amateurs. And whoever sat down to write that statement, they are volunteers... To come out and say that you are relieved of your duties - it's brutal."
'Iconic for Tipperary GAA as a player'
Liam Sheedy, who was Bonnar's predecessor as Tipperary manager, said it had been a "difficult week".
"You're in the news for all the wrong reasons," said Sheedy.
"Colm Bonnar, iconic for Tipp GAA as a player, stepped in and had a difficult first season. He had a lot of injuries, retirements to deal with - it was a tough hand he was dealt. For whatever real, it didn't seem that there was a gel there. Tommy (Dunne) and Paul (Curran) has resigned as well - they parted company, which is never nice.
"It coincided with Liam Cahill finishing in Waterford. You wonder if there's conversations going on behind the scenes. When you weigh it up at this stage of the week, you'd say the guy that's just left Waterford, Liam Cahill - and was offered the job last time around - you'd be expectant that he'd be offered it this time. If he was, you'd expect him to take it."
"It was brutal."
The #RTEGAA panel discuss the managerial changes this week. Liam Sheedy expects Liam Cahill to take up the Tipperary job, Anthony Daly feels Colm Bonnar was hard done by while Donal Og hits out at Tipp officials for how they handled Bonnar's exit. #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/bASKz0f6ye
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 17, 2022
Anthony Daly added that it was "tough" on Bonnar.
"You're told that you're there for three years," said Daly.
"You lose the likes of Brendan (Maher), Paudie (Maher), you don't have Seamie (Callanan) fit, John McGrath, Bubbles wasn't on the scene. For various reasons, I thought he had a hard job.
"I thought they gave a fair rattle at the job, and would have been entitled to at least a second year. It's a tough break for them."
Both Sheedy and Daly said that they were not interested in the vacant Tipperary and Dublin hurling posts.
See Also: Kilkenny Shake Off Slow Start And Push Aside Dublin
