Waterford manager Liam Cahill has called on the GAA to relax restrictions around extended panel members attending inter-county matches.
In the aftermath of his side's 3-27 to 3-18 win over Clare in the All-Ireland quarter final, Cahill said that he needed to raise the issue as he owed it "to the players that are at home and their families and the work they are putting in."
Cahill said that it was 'ludicrous' that his full panel couldn't attend the side's match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening. His comments echo the sentiment of Limerick manager John Kiely, who was similarly outraged in the aftermath of his side's Munster Senior Hurling final last Sunday.
“Having ten players at home again today and I know John Kiely touched on it last weekend after the Munster final. It really is difficult and I know we’re in tough times. The GAA has got so much right, they absolutely have and they have to be commended on what they’ve done to date.
“But at the moment it just seems ludicrous to have ten players that are inside with me, pushing them guys on the field every night, and they can’t come down to see their team-mates playing.
“I look in front of me today at the media and in fairness to ye, that’s ye’re job and all ye all have fridges to fill. But the bottom line with me is there’s lots of yellow bibs outside around there and nobody to steward. So it just doesn’t make sense.
“I’d appeal to the GAA to really look at that for Croke Park. We’ll be going to an 80,000 capacity stadium, if we can’t allow 20 people, ten from each side to socially distance up there, it beggars belief. So anyway that’s just my rant out of the way but I feel I owe it to the players that are at home and their families and the work they are putting in.”
Liam Cahill's side got off to a brilliant start against Clare, with corner forward Dessie Hutchinson scoring two goals in the first five minutes to put Waterford in the driving seat.
You can watch highlights of the game below:
Dominant Déise through to semi-finals!⚪️🔵
📽️Highlights of @WaterfordGAA's All-Ireland quarter-final win over Clare, as they set up a showdown with Kilkenny!
✍️Report👉https://t.co/VDQ3LJR9mY pic.twitter.com/OBbJQPUt6c
— Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) November 21, 2020
