Share ref briefings on rules with managers
Cork hit six goals past All-Ireland champions Clare in their Allianz Hurling League encounter on Sunday, however, the main talking point to come out of the game was the issuing of three red cards.
Similarly, there were four red cards handed out in the clash between Kilkenny and Tipperary, and as the dust settled at the end of the game in Ennis, questions were being asked by the managers in relation to the interpretation of the game from those in charge.
"There was a big meeting with the referees during the week and they laid down the law, but nobody told us and nobody told the players," said Clare manager, Brian Lohan, speaking to the media after the game.
"If they're going to change the way the game is refereed, the least you could do is tell us."
The debate continued into Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2, with ex-Kilkenny star Jackie Tyrrell and former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy delving deeper into the issue.
"Why should there be a screen up between what way they want the game to be refereed and why they wouldn’t inform the managers?" asked Sheedy, in relation to referees allegedly being asked to implement a stricter interpretation of the rules.
"Why wouldn’t the managers know that 'listen, we weren’t happy the way the games were played last weekend and the amount of challenges around the head and we’d like you to look at that and prepare appropriately’?
"I don’t know why the referees can have a conference call about it and you [the manager and players] are down training on a Thursday and Friday night and you have no idea.
"I don’t see why there should be any gap in knowledge. If I’m a manager I should know that they are not happy with this type of [challenge]. I don’t see why referees would know about it and the players and managers wouldn’t."
Tyrrell spoke about the emphasis on the duty of care for the players and felt that proper communication could only aid those competing on the pitch on adapting to how they play the game within the rules.
"What would be the issue about being transparent and telling managers that we are not happy with aspects of it?" said Tyrrell.
"Then managers can coach the players in terms of ‘look when it comes to the arm, we have to be really careful where we place it on the body’.
"We talk about the duty of care of the players, if they know more information about it they can act accordingly.
"We just need to be careful. We need to get the balance right, and the duty of care is to the player."
As for the three red cards in Clare, the panel were in agreement with one, at odds on another, and bamboozled by the third.
Peter Duggan was sent off for a strong challenge on Cork keeper Brion Saunderson, and while Sheedy felt that the player made the referee’s decision easy, Tyrrell felt it was a harsh decision.
"Peter Duggan, he leads with the arm and he hits Brion Saunderson across head," said Sheedy. "Did he really need to lead with the arm? It looks dangerous and as a result he got a straight red card."
"I don’t think he leads with the arm," interjected Tyrrell. "I think his arm is out and hits him in the side of the shoulder and on the neck.
"I think we see this all the time in the game, it’s not pulled ever at all, the keeper also ducked down into it. For me Peter Duggan didn’t do enough to get a red card there."
"This is scandalous, David Fitzgerald, to use the hurl in that fashion is just unacceptable," added Tyrrell when watching a replay of the Clare man’s dismissal.
"Cormac O’Brien’s red card," Tyrrell continued. "We’ve watched it back numerous times and we still don’t know, so I imagine Cork will look into that and there will be some further action."
They also discussed the four red cards shown in Tipperary's victory over Kilkenny, three of which went to the Cats, with both feeling Alan Tynan and Jordan Molloy were unlucky to see the line.
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