Players are set to once again refrain from media interviews around this weekend’s Allianz League games.
A threat to delay throw-in times has also been mooted but is more likely to be drawn upon for the following weekend’s fixtures if the Gaelic Players’ Association’s expenses row with the GAA hasn’t been resolved by then.
For last Saturday and Sunday’s Allianz Football League games, players didn’t take part in any interviews, which are usually the preserve of broadcasters for man of the match presentations these days, and were supported by a number of managers in solidarity.
GPA player representatives from the various counties held a Zoom meeting on Monday night and are expected to meet virtually again later this week to formalise their course of action this weekend in the absence of a breakthrough in the meantime.
Galway hurler Conor Whelan and Tyrone footballer Cathal McShane are to speak to media at a scheduled event for League sponsors Allianz this afternoon but the Wexford hurlers will now not take part in interviews with journalists following an open training session this Friday as originally planned “due to the current GPA request to players for non-engagement with the media”.
Matthew O’Hanlon is co-chair of the GPA’s national executive committee and one of a number of Wexford hurlers that is closely aligned with the players’ body. A source said that the Wexford players felt that they would be out of step with the GPA by engaging with the media while the standoff continues.
The GPA insists that the GAA revert to the pre-pandemic players’ charter but after the mileage rate was restored to 65c from 50c, where it stood over the last two years, the crux of the issue surrounds the GAA’s insistence that it will only subvent expenses for up to four training sessions/games per week.
Expenses for any extra sessions would be the responsibility of the relevant county board, with GAA director general Tom Ryan saying “we cannot continue to fund bad practice with regard to player welfare”.
However, the GPA has taken issue with this, saying that players should be reimbursed for whatever number of sessions they are asked to attend, while insisting that expenses owed to players since inter-county training resumed in December be fully paid up.
But the GPA is facing mounting criticism for not supporting the four-session limit on the grounds of player welfare.
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