Waterford GAA chairman Paddy Joe Ryan has expressed his unhappiness with the Sunday Game's highlighting of the incident involving Austin Gleeson and Luke Meade in the weekend's All-Ireland hurling semi-final.
On Tuesday it emerged that Gleeson had escaped punishment for interfering with the Cork player's helmet during the first half of the game.
The incident was scrutinised during live coverage of the match where replays were shown shortly after it occurred and it was discussed during half-time. It also featured on the Sunday Game highlights show later that evening where Eddie Brennan called the video evidence 'conclusive'.
Ryan, speaking on WLR FM, said it was too easy for the Sunday Game to 'dig stuff up'.
I was very disappointed with the attitude taken by (former) players on RTÉ.
We’ve lived this as county board officers for the last 72 hours, because we want Aussie Gleeson for the All-Ireland final. The county needs him, the game needs him and the country needs him.
Being at the game on Sunday, to the ordinary punter, nothing happened but when you start playing things in slow motion, blah, blah, blah, it’s so easy to dig up stuff. That makes it look a bit unreal – and it is unreal.
There was no serious malice or intent with either Aussie or the Galway player (Adrian Tuohy against Tipperary). It’s great that common sense has prevailed.
Ryan did admit he that Waterford are fortunate to have Gleeson available for the final against Galway. On Wednesday, it was reported that the CCCC were unhappy that had not been allowed investigate the video evidence of the contentious moment.
We’re lucky, it’s great and it’s what we want. I’m just saying Galway are lucky and Waterford are lucky.
This rule about pulling off helmets was brought in by the medical and scientific committee of the GAA, at the behest of (Cork team doctor) Con Murphy and the players.
It was the players who wanted this rule brought in, that touching helmets was sacrosanct and you couldn’t do it. The players have to be very, very careful.
Quotes via The Irish Examiner.
Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
