UNLIMITED HEARTBREAK ,,,,,,, Inside story on Limerick Hurling .

[INDIANA]

am reading this book now and absolutely loving it but it is one serious bitching session..
some classic quotes from Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan is one Bitter f******.

[dowling]

Zulu i don't know whether to be disappointed with you stooping to that level or if this is the real you.

Eh? You were one of the many who suggested that the Cork players were motivated by commercial reasons during last years strike, so what level are yo now referring to?

unlike you I don't have a default setting in these matters, instead I judge each on their own merits. Last year I strongly supported the Cork players but this year I see little justification for the Clare players stance and only mild justification for the Limerick players actions. The reason I think the Limerick players are right, to some degree, is because Justin cut some players because they were strong characters and not because they weren't good enough and that is both wrong and poor management, that he did so without even an courtesy phonecall is disgraceful.

Unlike last year, the commercial trappings of being senior IC hurlers was there for all to see.

What are you talking about? Most of the Cork panel don't get any endorsements and those that do get them get paid for promoting a product or business, some IC managers are getting serious cash for a GAA activity (managing) yet you can't find your high horse to clime on? You're a hypocrite and you're not the only one around here, you think it is A-ok to bash players with unsubstantiated accusations while never commenting on these things when it doesn't suit your position.

I don't think you'll find any reference to commercial deals in any of my posts during the Cork strike.
When you look at the vilification of Gerald McCarthy during that strike you can't help but wonder did it lead to the death threat he received. Unintended or not. But of course the strikers had to villify Gerald as the bullying wasn't working.
Has this rumour of money for Justin now been passed on to you in a similar vein and you've just passed it on thoughtlessly or are you deciding that coming on and talking about rumours is a good enough way for you to argue your points now?

[orangeman]

Justin McCarthy speaking on RTÉ Radio on Wednesday insists he will not resign as Limerick senior hurling manager despite calls for him to do so.

McCarthy's position at the helm has come under scrutiny since he made the decision to ommit 12 of last years panel from a winter training squad.

Only six members of the squad that got to last year's Guinness All-Ireland semi-final remain.

Limerick will play Wexford in a challenge in Mallow next Saturday and McCarthy says he's fully committed to seeing out his two- year term in charge.

[Minder]

am reading this book now and absolutely loving it but it is one serious bitching session..
some classic quotes from Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan is one Bitter f******.

Aye the bitchin gets a bit tiresome about halfway through. It was never Toms fault.

[Silky]

I get the impression that Justin will stick it out. He's a stubborn hure and would rather work with 30 willing volunteers who are committed than a load of premadonas who won't commit. Plus he's not a Limerick man

[Bing Crosby .]

Justin's interview is on R T E ' s  GAA media player .

I think he's dead right in everything he says .  The players will have to see sense and go back to the fold . Because of this interview I reckon the players should look at the situation as it is and realize that all this fuss is unnecessary. Put this behind us this week and move on confidently .There is no point in being in the headlines , there's too much work to be done . 

[Asal Mor]

Judging from all I've heard from guys who have played under him, it seems that Justin's man - management skills are pretty close to zero. I've been reading the Waterford footballer's book and a couple of them had a year or two with the hurlers while Justin was there. They had the choice of attending important games for the footballers or challenge games for the hurlers. They spoke to Justin who assured them they'd be needed for the hurling team. So they attended the hurling match, were left sitting on the sidelines, and never received a word of explanation from Justin about it. If it was me I'd throw a very public tantrum on the sideline but these guys stayed quiet and drifted away from the panel.

He never fosters any sort of a personal relationship with his players which eventually cost him in Waterford. Compare that with say, Mickey Harte, who is very close with his players and speaks to them on a personal level. Any problems the players have with management are openly discussed which lessens the chance of rows like this breaking out.

[Minder]

Judging from all I've heard from guys who have played under him, it seems that Justin's man - management skills are pretty close to zero. I've been reading the Waterford footballer's book and a couple of them had a year or two with the hurlers while Justin was there. They had the choice of attending important games for the footballers or challenge games for the hurlers. They spoke to Justin who assured them they'd be needed for the hurling team. So they attended the hurling match, were left sitting on the sidelines, and never received a word of explanation from Justin about it. If it was me I'd throw a very public tantrum on the sideline but these guys stayed quiet and drifted away from the panel.

He never fosters any sort of a personal relationship with his players which eventually cost him in Waterford. Compare that with say, Mickey Harte, who is very close with his players and speaks to them on a personal level. Any problems the players have with management are openly discussed which lessens the chance of rows like this breaking out.

That isn't true about Harte, he has no personal relationship with any of his players. It is strictly "business", any problems or grievances players have go through Mickeys right hand man, Tony Donnelly.

[Bing Crosby .]

This day and age hah and managers still refuse to hold I C hurlers hands . It's shocking . I'm very annoyed about this .

[Asal Mor]

Minder you might be right that players go to Donnelly with grievances but I know the Tyrone management hold sessions where the players are encouraged to share their thoughts about training, fitness, management etc. It allows them to nip any unrest in the bud.

Bing - It's not about holding anyone's hand. It's just about dealing respectfully with people - if you don't treat people well you can't expect any loyalty from them. Justin is a great skills coach but it's his failings in dealing with people that cost him the Waterford job and have made his current position untenable, whether or not he realises it. The days of the Heffo - style  dictator manager are gone. 

[AZOffaly]

I like this quote from an unnamed Limerick hurler who refused to comment on Justin's claim that people are not willing to enter dialogue.

'We had a ring around after the interview and decided not to say anything publicly. We have taken that route for the last few months because we don't want the situation to descend. There is a squad in place, our decision not to play is our own decision and we don't want to inflame the situation any more'.

I've always said that players have the right to walk away from a situation they don't feel they can or want to work under. It's an amateur situation, and if you don't want to work with the coaching team/county board, you can always walk away, that's your right. By not enflaming the situation with comments in the media, they are leaving the situation up to the county board to disentagle, which obviously includes the possibility that they will not play for Limerick this year. They may not engender the sort of Public discussion and emotion that the Cork situations did, but I prefer this course of action to be honest.

What the county board would need to look at now, just like a professional company with a high rate of turnover or attrition in it's staff, is 'Are we, or the management, doing something wrong that is resulting in these people leaving?'. If the answer is yes, then it's within their gift to rectify the situation.

[Bing Crosby .]

The players will not back down because they have made complete and utter fools out of themselves up until now and haven't the courage to admit that they were hasty when they walked away .

They look so stupid now that I'd say they just want to vanish and be forgotten about . They're ashamed of themselves and so they should be . The 09's are gone for good .

[Asal Mor]

I like this quote from an unnamed Limerick hurler who refused to comment on Justin's claim that people are not willing to enter dialogue.

'We had a ring around after the interview and decided not to say anything publicly. We have taken that route for the last few months because we don't want the situation to descend. There is a squad in place, our decision not to play is our own decision and we don't want to inflame the situation any more'.

I've always said that players have the right to walk away from a situation they don't feel they can or want to work under. It's an amateur situation, and if you don't want to work with the coaching team/county board, you can always walk away, that's your right. By not enflaming the situation with comments in the media, they are leaving the situation up to the county board to disentagle, which obviously includes the possibility that they will not play for Limerick this year. They may not engender the sort of Public discussion and emotion that the Cork situations did, but I prefer this course of action to be honest.

What the county board would need to look at now, just like a professional company with a high rate of turnover or attrition in it's staff, is 'Are we, or the management, doing something wrong that is resulting in these people leaving?'. If the answer is yes, then it's within their gift to rectify the situation.

I like that approach too AZ. I always thought that that's what the Cork players should have done last year and Gerald would have had to leave anyway. The PR war just caused a lot of heartache on all sides. The Limerick players are dead right to just walk away and say nothing if they don't want to play for Justin.

[DuffleKing]

The players will not back down because they have made complete and utter fools out of themselves up until now and haven't the courage to admit that they were hasty when they walked away .

They look so stupid now that I'd say they just want to vanish and be forgotten about . They're ashamed of themselves and so they should be . The 09's are gone for good .

That you dowling?

[dowling]

Richie Bennis has accused Limerick county board officials of shirking their responsibility by leaving the task of appointing a new hurling manager to a three-man committee comprising Paudie Fitzmaurice, Jim Wolfe and Damien Quigley.

Think he's partly right in that County Boards have to take responsibility but he has to point a finger at the players who left the fold too and them Cork boys who started all the nonsense in the first place. Between those on high in Croke Park and the elite players there's going to be little real input for your 'average' GAA member to contribute.
We're all going to be just 'volunteers' or 'supporters' if things keep going the way they are.